Nepal needs help in technical areas, not search and rescue, Foreign Minister says
Nepal's Foreign Minister stated that the country requires specialized technical assistance for disaster recovery following a massive glacier collapse, but does not need general search and rescue support. India and China have been requested to provide infrastructure support like bailey bridges.
Why it matters
Effective international coordination is critical for disaster management in the Himalayas, where terrain and scale pose significant logistical challenges.
Nepal needs foreign help in specialised and technical areas in which it does not have expertise in the aftermath of the devastating flood that hit its Himalayan border with China this week, but not in search and rescue, its foreign minister told Reuters .
A glacier collapse on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) unleashed a huge torrent of rock, ice, mud and debris through Himalayan mountain river systems, killing nearly 600 people in Nepal and China’s Tibet, with more than 2,000 still unaccounted for.
Nepal flash floods updates on August 29. 2026
Shisir Khanal said Kathmandu needs foreign help in areas such as rescuing people stuck in tunnels, opening transport and communication services in places where bridges have been destroyed, identification of dead bodies, DNA testing and storing bodies for longer durations.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in