Nepal Rejects Foreign Rescue Teams After Flash Floods Kill 469

Nepal has turned down offers from several countries to send search and rescue teams following devastating flash floods that have killed at least 469 people, with hundreds more still unaccounted for.

The decision comes as Nepali security agencies continue efforts to locate survivors and recover victims from mud and debris left by Wednesday’s floods along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems near the Nepal-China border.

According to The Kathmandu Post, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received both formal and informal requests from foreign governments and international organisations seeking to deploy rescue personnel.

However, the government has opted to keep the operation under the control of its own security agencies, officials said.

A foreign ministry official told The Kathmandu Post that similar offers had been received from China and other countries but were declined.

The ministry also told Reuters that Nepal did not require assistance from other countries for the rescue operation.

The decision was reportedly influenced by the country’s experience following the devastating 2015 earthquake, when the arrival of large numbers of international rescue teams presented challenges in coordinating and managing the emergency response.

Nepali authorities are now relying on domestic security agencies to continue search and rescue efforts as the country grapples with the scale of the disaster and the growing number of casualties.