RASUWA, NEPAL / RankWire.AI / – The UAE Search and Rescue Team is actively conducting operations in Nepal’s flood-affected Rasuwa district. The deployment aims to assist Nepalese authorities in their efforts to locate missing persons in regions impacted by the August 26 flood from the Bhote Koshi River. Ground searches and field assessments are ongoing at sites severely affected, utilizing drones for aerial imaging, mapping, and 3D surveys. This advanced technology enables rescue teams to pinpoint search locations and access areas where floodwaters have compromised roads and infrastructure.
Working closely with local officials, the UAE team directs search operations across Rasuwa. Hamoud Al Afari, the director of UAE relief efforts, emphasized that the technology currently available supports the ongoing search for missing individuals. The deployment follows prior evaluations of flood and landslide damage, which have posed significant access challenges due to extensive destruction of roads and vital infrastructure. As such, the teams combine on-ground activities with aerial reconnaissance to better understand the landscape and optimize rescue efforts.
Arriving in Nepal on the third UAE relief flight on Sept. 4, the specialized search team brought with them 20 tonnes of aid supplies. This flight increased the total relief delivered by the UAE to Nepal to 148 tonnes. The team comprises personnel from Dubai Police and is equipped with technical gear designed for disaster response. The UAE Aid Agency has announced a $10 million aid package for communities impacted by the floods and landslides. Earlier flights delivered essential supplies such as food, shelter materials, generators, and other necessities.
Search operations extend across flood-affected Rasuwa
As of the evening of Sept. 6, Nepal’s District Administration Office in Rasuwa reported rescuing 1,356 individuals. Among those rescued, 1,270 were Nepali citizens and 86 were foreigners. Authorities also confirmed that helicopters had evacuated 1,414 flood-stranded individuals and pilgrims to Nuwakot and Kathmandu. The district continues to update records of those reported missing following the disaster, including local residents, security personnel, government employees, bank staff, and international tourists.
The same district update indicated that 169 bodies have been recovered from affected zones. Six of these victims have been identified so far, with ongoing efforts to identify the remaining recovered bodies. Nepal Police has requested relatives of missing Nepali and foreign nationals to submit DNA profiles for comparison with recovered remains, prioritizing samples from first-degree relatives where possible. Families abroad can send DNA data electronically for matching. Authorities are also maintaining updated lists of missing persons and those out of contact.
Relief efforts continue alongside ongoing search activities
Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs reported that the Bhote Koshi flood struck Rasuwa around 8:40 a.m. on Aug. 26. Floodwaters also caused damage in riverbank areas of Nuwakot, Dhading, and Gorkha districts. In response to the disaster, the government initiated search, rescue, and emergency relief operations. Local officials documented extensive damage to roads, bridges, homes, schools, banks, and hydropower facilities. Relief supplies have been distributed at multiple locations, with ongoing assessments of physical and human losses underway.
The work conducted by the UAE team in Rasuwa forms an integral part of the larger search and relief mission led by Nepalese authorities. Current activities include site-specific searches, aerial surveys, and detailed mapping to assist ground teams. Relief personnel from the UAE are also providing food parcels, essential items, and other supplies to the affected population. As rescue and recovery efforts continue, local officials are updating records related to missing persons and ongoing operations, with the latest district reports still being revised as of Sept. 7.