KATHMANDU: Foreign technical teams from India, China and South Korea have been deployed in flood-affected areas of Rasuwa for search, rescue, tunnel recovery and body identification, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Speaking at a regular news briefing on Tuesday, ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Poudel Chhetri said international experts are working alongside Nepali security personnel in the disaster zone following the flood on Aug. 26.
A 24-member tunnel rescue team from India is working with the Nepal Army at the Chilime and Langtang hydropower project sites. In addition, a 19-member Indian DNA analysis expert team has been operating in the field since Aug. 29. China has dispatched a nine-member tunnel rescue team to the Upper Trishuli-3 ‘A’ Hydropower Project area, while preparations are underway to bring a four-member forensic team from China.
A rescue team from South Korea has also arrived and been deployed in the flood-affected region. Furthermore, coordination is ongoing to bring a Disaster Victim Identification team from Singapore.
Spokesperson Chhetri stated that unidentified bodies are being temporarily buried according to international standards after securing DNA samples and essential evidence, allowing them to be handed over to families once identified.
The ministry has urged close relatives of missing individuals to contact the Nepal Police Hospital in Maharajgunj or their nearest district police office. Family members living abroad can prepare DNA profiles in their respective host countries and submit them through official Nepal Police channels.
