Kathmandu: The death toll due to the devastating flash flood in Nepal’s Rasuwa district has risen to 538 on Friday, while over 1,400 people are still missing, including 320 Indians. However, the Nepalese government headed by Balendra Shah reportedly declined help for other nations in the rescue and relief operations.
“Don’t need help with rescue operation from other countries,” Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said, as per Reuters. The Shah government’s decision came as the search to trace missing people intensified. following flash floods that wreaked havoc in the Himalayan nation.
Nepal’s foreign ministry has received several official and informal offers from countries and international organisations to deploy rescue teams, but the government has chosen to have its own security forces lead the operation, the ministry told Kathmandu Post.
According to reports, India, China, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States are among the countries that offered to provide assistance to Nepal amid the trade.
As per the Nepalese daily, India had sought approval to send its National Disaster Response Force to assist in the search after hundreds of Indians went missing, but Nepal turned down the request.
“We received similar requests from China and other countries too, but we had to turn down the request,” a foreign ministry official told the media house.
According to Nepal Police, the Chitwan district recorded the highest death toll with 178 bodies recovered, followed by 110 in NP East, 44 in Gorkha, 37 in Nuwakot, 33 in Dhading, 28 in Tanahun, 27 in NP West and 12 in Rasuwa.
Authorities have rescued 644 people from Rasuwa, 898 from Nuwakot and three from Dhading, reported ANI.
The catastrophic flash flood that struck the Tibet-Nepal border on August 26.