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Seven days after catastrophic floods in the Bhotekoshi River claimed 1,010 lives and left approximately 4,000 people unaccounted for, a unified force of over 21,000 personnel from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force remains engaged in intensive search, rescue, evacuation, and relief operations across affected regions.

The devastating floods swept away entire settlements, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Spokesperson Lok Bahadur Poudel Chhetri stated that the government is coordinating closely with immediate neighbors and the broader international community to mobilize specialized expertise, heavy equipment, and essential resources.

Specialized international tunnel rescue teams have been deployed to damaged hydropower sites. According to Chhetri, Indian tunnel rescue teams are working alongside the Nepal Army at the Chilime and Langtang hydropower project sites, while a Chinese team is operating at the Upper Trishuli 3A site. A rescue team from the Republic of Korea has also arrived to assist operations.

In addition to search effort deployments, specialized international assistance is arriving for forensic and victim identification efforts.

"We have received specialized equipment for the management and preservation of mortal remains," Chhetri said. "A 19-member forensic team from India specializing in DNA analysis has been working with Nepali authorities since August 29, and a four-person forensic team from China is scheduled to arrive this evening."

Coordination is also underway to deploy a Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team from Singapore. To bolster ongoing operations, the government has requested high-priority supplies from international partners, including LiDAR equipment, Bailey bridges, freezers, DNA testing kits, heavy load carriers, body bags, high-capacity drones, and gene sequencers.

As access to remote areas improves, the full scale and extent of the destruction are becoming clearer. Relevant authorities are currently conducting detailed assessments of damaged housing, roads, bridges, power facilities, and other critical infrastructure.

Given the immense magnitude of the destruction, Chhetri emphasized that Nepal expects to require substantial long-term international aid for the upcoming rehabilitation and reconstruction phase, with specific requirements to be communicated through official diplomatic channels.