RASUWA, NEPAL / RankWire.AI / – The UAE Search and Rescue Team is actively engaged in field activities in Nepal’s flood-affected Rasuwa district. Their deployment supports efforts by Nepalese authorities to locate victims and assess damage caused by the August 26 flood from the Bhote Koshi River. The crews are performing ground searches and on-site surveys at sites impacted by the disaster, utilizing drones for aerial imaging, terrain assessment, and three-dimensional mapping. This technology is instrumental in helping teams pinpoint search locations and access areas where flooding has compromised roads and infrastructure.
Direct coordination between the UAE team and Nepalese officials guides the allocation of search resources across Rasuwa. Hamoud Al Afari, director of UAE relief operations, emphasized that the available technology enhances the search for missing persons. The deployment followed assessments of flood and landslide-affected zones, where access issues have hampered rescue efforts due to extensive damage to roads and basic facilities. Ground operations are being supplemented by aerial surveys to analyze the affected regions and steer ongoing search activities.
Arriving in Nepal on the third UAE relief flight on September 4, the search team brought along 20 tonnes of aid. This flight increased the total relief delivered by the UAE to Nepal to 148 tonnes. The specialized team, comprising personnel from Dubai Police equipped with technical disaster response tools, is actively engaged in rescue operations. The UAE Aid Agency is managing a $10 million aid package aimed at supporting communities impacted by the floods and landslides. Previous flights delivered essential supplies such as food, shelter materials, generators, and other vital items.
The flood-affected Rasuwa district sees expanded search activities
According to Nepal’s District Administration Office in Rasuwa, 1,356 rescues had been carried out by the evening of September 6. Among those rescued, 1,270 were Nepali citizens, and 86 were foreign nationals. Authorities also reported that helicopters had evacuated 1,414 flood-affected individuals and stranded pilgrims to Nuwakot and Kathmandu. The district continues to update records of those unaccounted for following the disaster, including local residents, security personnel, government workers, bank employees, and foreign tourists.
The same district update revealed that 169 bodies have been recovered from the affected areas. Six of these victims have been identified, with ongoing efforts to determine the identities of the remaining recovered bodies. Nepal Police has requested families of missing Nepali and foreign nationals to submit DNA samples for comparison with recovered remains, prioritizing samples from first-degree relatives where possible. Families living abroad may also electronically submit DNA profiles for matching. Authorities continue to maintain updated lists of missing individuals and those unaccounted for.
Relief operations run concurrently with ongoing search efforts
Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed that the Bhote Koshi flood impacted Rasuwa at approximately 8:40 a.m. on August 26. Floodwaters also caused damage to riverbank areas in Nuwakot, Dhading, and Gorkha districts. Following the disaster, the government launched search, rescue, and emergency relief activities. Local authorities have documented extensive damage to roads, bridges, homes, schools, banks, and hydropower infrastructure. Relief supplies have been distributed across multiple locations as assessments of both human and structural losses continue.
The work carried out by the UAE team in Rasuwa is part of Nepalese-led search and relief efforts. Its current focus includes conducting site-specific searches, aerial surveys, and detailed mapping to support ground teams. Relief personnel from the UAE are also distributing food parcels, essential items, and other supplies throughout the affected zones. The search teams persist in working within damaged areas while local officials update records related to rescue, recovery, and missing persons. As of September 7, the latest district records remained under active revision.