Nepal flood death toll at 616: ‘At least $4 bn’ needed for rebuilding; minister denies refusing foreign help — 5 points

MORE than 600 people died, and almost 2,500 were reported missing in the massive flash floods that swept through the Nepal-Tibet border region on Wednesday. The toll rose as search and rescue efforts continued at several locations in Nepal and China’s Tibet.

Here's the latest you need to know about Nepal floods.

1. Toll rose to 616

The Nepal Police told AFP on Saturday that the devastating floods in the Nepal-Tibet border region have killed at least 616 people. The toll rose from 553 deaths reported by police on Friday.

Meanwhile, as many as 1,924 remain unaccounted for, including hundreds of foreigners from India, Malaysia, Australia and the US, Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said in a post on X. That’s almost double its previous estimate of the missing.

Chinese state media had earlier confirmed seven dead, taking the total killed to at least 623 deaths. It added that 554 people were missing on the Chinese side.

Meanwhile, the number of missing soared past 2,400 on Friday as emergency teams said they had recovered 623 bodies — with some of the dead possibly swept downstream as far away as India, AFP reported.

More than 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal so far.

2. 'Nepal needs at least $4 billion for rebuilding'

Nepal needs $4 billion to $5 billion for rebuilding after the devastating flood that struck its border areas this week, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle told Reuters on Saturday.

"This is just an estimate. Loss and damage is being assessed," he told AFP.

3. Nepal denies refusing assistance from international community

On Friday, Nepal denied refusing assistance from friendly countries and the international community, saying it wants to "prioritise" maximum deployment of its own security forces, which are familiar with local environmental conditions and rugged terrain.

Speaking to the National News Agency (RSS), Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said, “International assistance was not rejected but that the rescue strategy was decided based on national capacity, immediate need and Nepal's unique geographical situation.”

"Since deploying an external rescue team in unfamiliar terrain can add complexity to coordination and technical management and may also create unforeseen risks, rescue operations were carried out using the available national capacity," the minister said.

Khanal emphasised that the government is ready to take international assistance in difficult cases, where special technical skills are required for extremely complex physical structures.

4. 'Nepal needs help in technical areas, not search and rescue'

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told Reuters on Friday that the country needs foreign help not in search and rescue but in specialised and technical areas where it lacks expertise in the aftermath of the devastating flood.

The statement came as the Kathmandu Post reported earlier that India, China, the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had asked the government to allow their search-and-rescue teams to assist in the operation.

Shisir Khanal reportedly said that Kathmandu needs foreign help in areas such as rescuing people stuck in tunnels, opening transport and communication services in places where bridges have been destroyed, identification of dead bodies, DNA testing and storing bodies for longer durations.

"We have already made requests for such specialised services and technical assistance in areas where we don't have enough expertise and technical know-how," Khanal said late on Friday.

Neighbours India and China have been requested for Bailey bridges to reopen transport and communication in a disaster-hit area where about two dozen bridges had been destroyed.

Earlier on Friday, Nepal's foreign ministry had said that Kathmandu could manage the rescue efforts on its own for now and declined foreign involvement.

Asked about that stance of his government, Khanal said there was no need for assistance in general search and rescue, which was being done by Nepali rescuers. “We think there is no need for repetition in this,” he said.

5. 11-member Indian team arrives in Nepal

An 11-member Indian team arrived in Nepal on Saturday to assist local authorities following flash floods that killed more than 600 people and left nearly 2,000 others missing.

The team, which includes medical personnel and tunnel rescue experts, was sent at the request of the Nepal government, Indian embassy sources told PTI.

Nepal had requested India and China to help construct 42 Bailey bridges to resume transport services in the flood-hit areas. The portable bridges are designed for fast assembly without heavy machinery or special tools.