Kathmandu, 30 August: Special teams from neighboring countries India and China have been deployed in Nepal since Saturday to rescue citizens trapped in the Bhotekoshi glacial flood. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said an 11-member high-level technical team from India has been deployed in areas severely affected by the Bhotekoshi glacial flood.
Speaking at a press briefing organized by the government, he said, “The special technical team that arrived from India on Friday has been deployed, while a six-member team of experts from China arrived on Saturday to provide assistance.” According to Minister Khanal, the high-level technical teams from India and China will primarily be involved in rescuing people trapped inside tunnels of various hydropower projects.
He said the government had authorized the expert teams to carry out rescue operations in Nepal as part of efforts to secure additional international technical assistance to make search-and-rescue operations more effective.
Minister Khanal said that, due to Nepal’s difficult geographical terrain, the government could not authorize all foreign technical teams that wished to come to Nepal. “We have to move forward by learning from our experiences in previous disasters. The areas affected by the flood are geographically extremely challenging, and there are not even places where helicopters can land. In such circumstances, foreign teams arriving for the first time could also face difficulties,” he said. He added that the government was prioritizing technical assistance that could be provided by land.
He stressed that the rescue operation was highly sensitive and that the safety of new rescue teams entering the difficult terrain must be given priority. According to the Nepali Army, which is actively involved in the rescue operation, there is no confirmed information about how many people remain trapped inside the tunnels of various power projects.
Nepali Army spokesperson Rajaram Basnet said rescue operations were initially underway in the tunnels of the Trishuli Three ‘A’ and Three ‘B’ hydropower projects. He expressed hope that technologies and equipment unavailable in Nepal would be brought in through foreign assistance. “The flood has brought not only soil but also huge rocks right up to the entrances of the tunnels, blocking them. In settlements, areas have been buried under up to two meters of soil and rocks,” he said.
According to him, the Army rescued four people on Friday under extremely difficult conditions. Besides the Trishuli Three ‘A’ and Three ‘B’ projects, people are believed to be inside tunnels at the Rasuwagadhi, Langtang, Chilime and Mailung hydropower projects. However, Basnet said around 150 people who had fled to other locations before the flood struck had already been rescued. So far, 208 people, including 33 foreigners, have been rescued.
Prime Minister’s Press and Research Adviser Deepa Dahal said that although conditions inside the tunnels are extremely challenging, the government, Nepali Army, and Indian and Chinese expert teams are making every possible effort to safely bring out those trapped inside through coordinated efforts.
Preparation for Donors’ Conference
Following the damage caused by the Bhotekoshi glacial flood, the government has begun assessing and analyzing the disaster to arrange the financial resources needed for relief and reconstruction. At present, various friendly countries around the world, including neighboring nations, are closely monitoring Nepal’s situation and spontaneously announcing financial assistance in response to the disaster. In addition, the government has begun preparations for a possible international donors’ conference. Foreign Minister Khanal said the government had reached the conclusion that international assistance would be needed based on preliminary damage estimates and was now focusing on a comprehensive assessment of the losses.
He said the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already begun internal preparations to develop a factual framework containing estimated damage assessments. Minister Khanal said, “This is not a matter of billions; looking at the current situation, reconstruction could cost trillions. We may therefore organize a donors’ conference.” He said the flood had caused extensive damage to critical infrastructure, roads, bridges and hydropower projects, among other sectors, and that detailed analysis and assessment of the damage were also underway.
Appreciation for Friendly Nations
Following the flood, assistance has continued to arrive from various countries, including neighboring nations, for immediate search, rescue and relief operations. Minister Khanal expressed the government’s gratitude and appreciation for the support.
More than 57 tonnes of relief materials from India have arrived in Nepal so far. Relief supplies are also being received from China, Japan, Australia and other countries, he said. He appealed to Nepalis living at home and abroad, as well as foreign citizens wishing to provide financial assistance to flood victims, to contribute through the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. He also emphasized the need for assistance from friendly nations in areas including DNA analysis and the long-term management of bodies, as well as the technology required to identify and search for people who may still be alive inside the tunnels.
Minister Khanal told international journalists attending the press briefing that the Nepal government was continuing intensive efforts to search for and rescue foreign nationals missing in the flood. According to him, the government has so far rescued 4,450 people, including 187 foreign nationals. The government currently has information that 2,400 people remain missing, while 626 bodies had been recovered as of Saturday afternoon.
