KATHMANDU — Nepal has formally requested specialized technical assistance from India and China following devastating floods triggered by a glacier collapse on Wednesday. The disaster killed at least 626 people and left more than 2,400 missing.
Nepal's foreign ministry appealed for help with tunnel rescues, which local teams lack the equipment to conduct. The country also needs support restoring transport and communication links severed by the flooding, as well as assistance identifying and storing deceased individuals.
While Nepali rescue teams are managing general search and rescue operations effectively, the scale of destruction exceeds domestic capacity for highly technical tasks. The floods destroyed approximately two dozen bridges across the affected region.
Nepal has specifically requested bailey bridges — portable, prefabricated truss structures — from India and China to rapidly re-establish transport routes and reconnect isolated communities for aid delivery.
The glacier collapse unleashed a massive torrent of rock, ice, mud and debris through Himalayan river systems. The disaster's impact extended into China's Tibet region, where additional deaths were reported.
