KATHMANDU: Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai has said the government is receiving international assistance as needed for search, rescue and relief operations in areas affected by the Bhotekoshi floods.
Speaking at a programme organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday to brief the media on the government’s response to the Bhotekoshi floods, Rai said tunnel rescue experts from India, China and the Republic of Korea had been deployed in coordination with the Nepali Army, particularly to rescue people trapped inside tunnels.
Following the floods, the government has mobilised all available resources and efforts under its control for search, rescue, relief and recovery operations, Rai said.
He said the immediate national priorities were to save lives, search for missing people, rescue those trapped and ensure that survivors, including affected Nepali and foreign nationals, receive necessary assistance and support.
According to Rai, around 19,000 security personnel and 16 helicopters have been deployed in the affected areas.
“So far, 734 bodies have been recovered and around 2,498 people are still unaccounted for. More than 8,186 people have been rescued, including 261 foreign nationals, while more than 400 foreign nationals remain missing,” he said.
Rai said the government was maintaining close contact and coordination with neighbouring countries and the international community during the crisis.
“Many foreign nationals are still missing. Therefore, the ministry has established an emergency control room to coordinate with concerned agencies and the families of missing people,” he said.
Rai said integrated teams from Nepal’s security and other agencies were effectively managing the situation in coordination with specialised technical teams from abroad.
“Our agencies are working with 11 specialists from India, nine from China and experts from the Republic of Korea on tunnel rescue operations,” he said.
The ministry said airtight body bags had also been received for the management of recovered bodies, with additional bags expected to arrive.
Rai said a team of 18 forensic experts from India specialising in DNA analysis had arrived in Nepal and coordination was continuing in this regard.
Nepal has also received relief materials from India, China, the United Arab Emirates and other countries. Essential supplies are also being received from the United States, Japan, Qatar, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other countries and partners, according to the ministry.
The government said bodies were being temporarily buried in accordance with standard and approved protocols, including those of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), particularly when they could not be identified, had suffered severe dismemberment or had decomposed after remaining in water for an extended period.
“Before burial, health teams collect DNA samples from each deceased person so that they can later be matched with records and families. The bodies can be exhumed when necessary for final rites,” Rai said.
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