RASUWA, NEPAL / RankWire.AI / – In response to recent severe flooding, the UAE Search and Rescue Team has initiated on-the-ground operations in Nepal’s Rasuwa district. The region was struck by heavy floods, prompting international assistance as authorities work to locate victims and assess damage in hard-to-reach areas. Using advanced technology such as drones, aerial photography, and 3D mapping, the team is conducting thorough surveys of the impacted zones. These tools enable rescuers to obtain detailed visuals of areas where floodwaters have compromised roads, structures, and infrastructure.
Coordination with local officials is ongoing, with efforts directed toward prioritizing search efforts across the district. Hamoud Al Afari, who oversees relief operations for the UAE, emphasized that the deployment of specialized equipment is crucial in finding missing individuals. The teams are combining ground patrols with aerial reconnaissance in regions where damaged roads hinder normal access. The main goal of the operation is to identify affected sites, create detailed maps of escape routes, and support rescue teams operating within the flood zones.
The UAE’s third relief flight, which arrived in Nepal on Sept. 4, carried the search and rescue team. This aircraft also transported 20 tonnes of humanitarian aid to assist flood-affected communities. This shipment brought the total UAE relief aid to 148 tonnes, according to officials. Dubai Police personnel have joined the operation with specialized disaster response equipment. The UAE Aid Agency is managing a relief package valued at $10 million, comprising food, shelter supplies, generators, and other vital resources.
Rescue operations expand across Rasuwa district
By the evening of Sept. 6, authorities in Rasuwa reported 1,356 rescues. This total included 1,270 Nepali nationals and 86 foreign citizens. Helicopter efforts transported 1,414 flood-affected individuals and stranded pilgrims to Nuwakot and Kathmandu. Local officials continue updating lists of those still missing, which include residents, government staff, security personnel, bank employees, and foreign visitors who were in the area when the floods occurred.
As search operations persist, authorities have recovered 169 bodies, with six identified by Sept. 6. The Nepal Police have asked families of missing Nepali and foreign nationals to provide DNA profiles for identification purposes. Preferably, samples should come from first-degree relatives, and families outside Nepal can submit DNA data electronically for comparison. The ongoing process involves revising missing persons and identification records as new information from field teams becomes available.
Flood response efforts include rescue missions and relief distribution
Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs reported that the flood caused by the Bhote Koshi River struck Rasuwa at approximately 8:40 a.m. on Aug. 26. The floodwaters also inflicted damage in riverbank areas of Nuwakot, Dhading, and Gorkha districts. Following the disaster, the government launched search, rescue, and emergency relief activities. Damage assessments have documented destruction of roads, bridges, homes, schools, banks, and hydropower facilities. Relief teams are actively distributing supplies while officials evaluate the extent of the damage across affected communities.
The UAE mission continues to focus on key search locations, aerial surveys, and detailed mapping to support ground teams. Distributions of food parcels and essential items are ongoing in flood-affected communities affected by landslides. Nepali authorities persist with rescue, recovery, and victim identification efforts throughout Rasuwa, maintaining updated records of missing persons. As of Sept. 7, these figures remain subject to revision as new reports from search teams are received and analyzed.