Nepal seeks foreign expertise for tunnel rescue after deadly floods

Nepal has limited experience in tunnel rescue operations and needs specialised equipment and technical knowledge to carry out such missions

Nepal has opened the door to limited foreign assistance following this week’s catastrophic floods, but has made clear that it does not need outside help for general search-and-rescue operations. Instead, Kathmandu is seeking specialised services and technical expertise in areas where Nepal lacks the necessary equipment or experience, foreign minister Khanal told Reuters, as the scale of the disaster continued to overwhelm relief efforts. Nepal is new to tunnels and needs equipment as well as technical knowledge in tunnel rescue operations, he said. The devastating floods were triggered by a glacier collapse on Wednesday, unleashing a torrent of rock, ice, mud and debris through Himalayan river systems near Nepal’s border with China. More than 600 people have been killed in Nepal and China’s Tibet, while over 2,000 remain unaccounted for. Entire settlements were levelled, while roads, bridges, hospitals, schools and hydropower facilities suffered extensive damage. Khanal said Nepal did not require foreign assistance for general search-and-rescue work, but had requested specialised services and technical support. One of the biggest concerns is the possibility that people may still be trapped inside tunnels at hydropower projects in Rasuwa and Nuwakot. Nepal has limited experience in tunnel rescue operations and needs specialised equipment and technical knowledge to carry out such missions. India has moved quickly to respond to Kathmandu’s request. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said a reconnaissance team was being flown in first to assess conditions and determine what equipment would be required before a tunnel rescue team is deployed. “As requested by Nepal, we are preparing to send a tunnel rescue team, for which a recce team is being flown in first to assess the on-ground situation and what sort of equipment will be required. We are also sending a medical team to Nepal. In addition, we have also offered Bailey bridges along with associated technical teams so that connectivity can be restored quickly in the affected parts of Nepal and we can help in rescue and relief efforts. .. One Bailey bridge is already in Nepal and can be deployed for relief and connectivity efforts,” Jaiswal said. Nepal is also seeking help to identify and manage the growing number of bodies. Many victims have been washed downstream, with bodies recovered from Chitwan and Nawalparasi, around 100 km from the disaster zone. “More bodies are likely to be recovered from these places where hospitals have been overwhelmed with dead bodies and lack refrigerators to store them,” Khanal said. The country also has limited capacity for DNA testing and forensic identification, prompting Kathmandu to seek foreign experts to help identify victims and return their remains to families. Pressure mounts as foreign nationals remain missing Nepal initially refused offers from several countries to send search-and-rescue teams, but reversed its position as the disaster deepened and pressure mounted from governments whose citizens remain missing. India, China, the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had reportedly asked Kathmandu to allow their teams to assist. “We received massive pressure from the international community to allow at least search-and-rescue teams and some experts because their citizens have also gone missing in the floods. We are allowing a limited number of experts in certain areas,” The Kathmandu Post reported quoting a senior government official. India has meanwhile dispatched its third consignment of humanitarian assistance, including portable generators, dignity kits, food packets and water purification tablets. An 11-member team of doctors, paramedics and tunnel-rescue specialists travelled on the same flight, taking India’s total relief assistance to Nepal to 57.5 tonnes since August 26.