Manila: Nepal has sought freezers, DNA testing kits, remote sensing technology, and drones to map disaster-affected areas amid a mounting death toll from devastating flash floods in the Himalayas. During a press briefing on Monday, Nepal's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Poudel Chhetri announced that the government has officially requested essential non-food items and specialized technical services from international partners.
According to Philippines News Agency, Kathmandu requested freezers, DNA testing kits, and LiDAR technology from the US, Disaster Victim Identification assistance from Singapore, and Bailey bridges and high-capacity drones from China and Singapore to support ongoing recovery operations. The country has already received airtight bags for managing the dead bodies, and "more are also being delivered."
The disaster struck on August 26 when a glacier on Nepal's Mount Langtang Lirung fractured at an altitude of about 5,200 meters, triggering an ice-rock avalanche that developed into a massive debris flow and swept through valleys along the border. The surge of water, along with mudslides, devastated Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Kavre, and the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, while also burying the Gyirong border area in China's Tibet region.
Kathmandu's request comes as the country's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported 903 deaths and 4,247 people, including 592 foreigners from 39 countries, still missing. Beijing has confirmed 16 deaths while 546 people, including 261 foreigners, remain missing. The combined figures put the death toll at 919 and the number of missing at 4,793, including 853 foreigners. At least 933 personnel, including workers from India and China, remain unaccounted for at several disaster-hit hydropower projects on the Nepalese side of the border.
Chhetri stated that a preliminary assessment of the needs is currently underway and a detailed Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) will be carried out to determine the actual figures for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the critical infrastructure that has been damaged. The spokesman emphasized Nepal's need for assistance and support in rescue and relief operations, particularly in areas like tunnel rescue, freezers, LiDAR, DNA, and forensic expertise. During the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase, a significant level of support will be required, which will be determined by the PDNA.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that China is making every effort to search for and rescue those unaccounted for both within the country and abroad. Intensive search, rescue, and relief operations are still underway in an orderly manner in the disaster-hit areas. He added that China has been open, transparent, and timely in information release, and any smear and disinformation is unwelcome during the disaster response.
