At least 85 Indian nationals have been rescued from areas affected by the devastating Bhotekoshi flash floods in Nepal, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said on Friday.
The NTB said 121 foreign travellers in total had been rescued as of 3:30 pm on August 28. The list also include 16 Chinese nationals, nine from South Korea, two each from the US, Russia and Italy, and one each from Bulgaria and Switzerland. The nationality of three rescued people was yet to be confirmed.
The Tourism Board said that the authorities were working to establish the whereabouts and safety of travellers who were in, or travelling through, the affected areas.
“All necessary efforts are underway to rescue and evacuate injured, stranded and affected people,” the NTB said in its situation update.
Nepal Declines Foreign Rescue Teams
Nepal has turned down offers from several countries to send search and rescue teams to the flood-hit region.
According to The Kathmandu Post, Nepal’s Foreign Ministry received requests from governments and organisations seeking to deploy rescue personnel. India, China, the US, UK, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were among those that sought permission, a senior Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying.
The decision was taken following recommendations from the Nepal Army and Nepal Police. Officials cited the experience of the 2015 earthquake, when the arrival of multiple foreign rescue teams reportedly created coordination and management challenges.
“We received similar requests from China and other countries too, but we had to turn down the request,” the official said, according to the report.
Nepal has instead asked countries willing to assist to provide financial support through a one-door mechanism. Officials said international assistance could be sought during the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase.
Rescue Operations Continues
The disaster has caused extensive damage in areas of Nepal, with roads, bridges and other infrastructure affected by the sudden flooding. Access to some areas has also been disrupted, complicating rescue and verification efforts. Nepal Authorities are continuing rescue and search operations as large number of people still remains missing.
The Nepal Tourism Board had earlier reported 517 foreign nationals missing following the floods. The flood death toll in Nepal has reached 392.
