Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah on Wednesday detailed the government’s response to the devastating flash floods in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, saying authorities prioritised rescue operations as the death toll from the disaster rose to 1,127.
Briefing Parliament on the disaster, Shah said emergency teams were mobilised shortly after authorities received information about the incident, with helicopters placed on standby and rescue teams prepared for deployment.
“We are with the country in these difficult times. The incident took place around 8:30 AM. As soon as we got to know about the incident, we alerted our teams. A meeting was called at 9:15 AM. Helicopters were kept on standby. At 10:30 AM, our emergency rescue teams were ready to be deployed. Rescue of the people was our priority,” Shah said.
He said Army helicopters were subsequently directed to conduct rescue operations in the affected areas, while contact with local representatives was established around 1 PM.
Shah said the government also allocated Rs 1 crore each for Rasuwa and Nuwakot and set up a dedicated team to locate and rescue foreign nationals affected by the floods.
“Women, children and elderly people were given priority in the rescue. 10 trucks of relief material were sent, and all ministers decided to contribute one month of their salaries,” he said.
According to Shah, 11,993 people have been rescued so far, while 3,916 remain missing.
Addressing Parliament, Shah acknowledged the scale of destruction caused by the Bhotekoshi floods and called for determination in dealing with the crisis.
“This is not only the suffering of Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading. It is a shared blow to the heart of the entire country,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the country’s leadership had a responsibility to provide reassurance and strength during a crisis.
“In this hour of crisis, we have accepted the reality that the country’s leadership must provide courage, support and reassurance, not tears,” Shah said.
“We have no alternative but to fight with determination and courage, and we are fighting,” he added.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the devastating floods has climbed to 1,127, according to Nepal Police.
