Nepal reverses stand on foreign rescue teams, allows India, China, among others as flood toll crosses 600. Here’s what changed

New Delhi: Nepal has opened the door to limited foreign assistance, including Indian and Chinese, in its flood rescue operation after initially insisting that its own agencies could manage the crisis. The change comes as 626 people have died and more than 2,400 remain missing, according to Nepalese authorities.

Nepal has now approved India, China, Australia and South Korea to provide specialists and technical personnel for areas where the country requires additional expertise. Kathmandu has stressed that foreign assistance will be restricted to specific needs rather than allowing international teams to take over the broader rescue operation.

The government’s decision marks a sharp shift from its earlier statement, when Kathmandu declined offers from several countries to send specialized rescue teams. With the number of missing people continuing to rise and difficult rescue operations underway at flood-hit sites, Nepal is now allowing foreign expertise in selected areas.

The Kathmandu Post has reported that intense diplomatic pressure from countries whose nationals remain missing prompted the government to reverse its earlier decision. Kathmandu has agreed to allow foreign specialists to assist with tunnel rescues, DNA testing and forensic examinations, while keeping the wider rescue operation under its own control.

RNA Media had earlier reported that Nepal had rejected offers from several countries to send rescue teams, saying its security agencies were capable of handling the operation. The refusal came even as hundreds of people, including foreign nationals, remained unaccounted for following the floods.

The reversal came barely a day after that decision. Several governments had been seeking permission to send teams to help locate their nationals, and officials from at least two embassies in Kathmandu told The Kathmandu Post that their requests had initially not been accepted.

The pressure has grown as the number of foreign nationals among those missing has become clearer. At least 517 foreign nationals are reported missing in Nepal, although the figures remain fluid as authorities continue to reconcile different records. Indian nationals constitute the largest group, followed by citizens of the United States, Ukraine, Australia and the United Kingdom.

The most immediate requirement is for specialized tunnel rescue capabilities. Flooding has affected 14 hydropower projects in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, leaving several workers out of contact and making access to some sites particularly difficult.

Nepal’s laboratories have limited ability to process the large number of DNA samples expected from the disaster, prompting the government to seek foreign forensic expertise to identify victims and return their remains to their families.

“We need to conduct DNA tests on a large number of samples. Foreign experts will assist us in identifying the bodies promptly so that we can hand them over to their relatives on time,” Nepal foreign minister, Shisir Khanal, told The Kathmandu Post.

India continues relief and rescue assistance

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said New Delhi had offered a tunnel rescue team, a medical team and teams from the National Disaster Response Force. The external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, also spoke to Khanal and said India had offered a range of support options that Nepal was evaluating.

India’s third flight carrying humanitarian assistance has reached Kathmandu, with relief supplies and 11-member medical and tunnel rescue team now on the ground to support Nepal’s ongoing response.

India is simultaneously tracking its nationals affected by the floods. According to an MEA update on August 28, 84 Indians had been rescued, including 21 people from Tamil Nadu who returned to India and 63 people working at the Trishuli I project.

Another 149 Indian nationals safely crossed from China into Nepal on August 28, while about 400 Indians remain safe in China, with the Indian embassy coordinating their evacuation. However, 320 Indian nationals remain missing or not contactable, according to the latest Indian government figures.

South Korea has also been pressing Kathmandu to facilitate assistance after nine South Korean nationals were reported out of contact. South Korean foreign minister, Cho Hyun, spoke to Khanal and requested Nepal’s cooperation for a response team already deployed to the disaster site. Cho said Seoul was also preparing to send the Korean search and rescue team, as South Korea seeks to assist in locating its nationals.

The floods have also caused fatalities in neighbouring Tibet. According to Xinhua News Agency, seven people had died and 554 remained missing.