RASUWA, NEPAL / RankWire.AI / – The UAE Search and Rescue Team is actively conducting field operations in Nepal’s Rasuwa district following severe flooding that impacted the area. Their team is aiding Nepali authorities in inspecting damaged communities and challenging terrains. Utilizing drones, aerial imagery, and three-dimensional mapping, they assess affected zones. These tools allow search teams to obtain comprehensive visuals of locations where floodwaters have compromised roads, buildings, and other critical infrastructure.
Coordination efforts between UAE personnel and local officials ensure teams focus on priority search zones throughout the district. Hamoud Al Afari, director of UAE relief operations, emphasized that advanced technical tools are instrumental in locating missing persons. The teams have combined ground searches with aerial reconnaissance in regions where damaged roads hinder access. The main goal of the operation is to identify impacted sites, chart routes, and assist rescue teams working within the flood-affected areas.
The UAE’s search and rescue team arrived in Nepal aboard the third relief flight on Sept. 4, carrying 20 tonnes of humanitarian aid for flood victims. This shipment brings the total UAE relief supplies to 148 tonnes, according to officials. Dubai Police personnel joined the operation, bringing disaster response equipment. The UAE Aid Agency oversees a $10 million aid package that includes food, shelter materials, generators, and other vital supplies.
Search teams extend their operations throughout Rasuwa
As of the evening of Sept. 6, authorities in Rasuwa reported conducting 1,356 rescues. Among those rescued, 1,270 were Nepali citizens, and 86 were foreigners. Helicopters have transported 1,414 flood-affected individuals and stranded pilgrims to Nuwakot and Kathmandu. Officials continue updating the list of individuals still unaccounted for, which includes residents, government workers, security personnel, bank employees, and foreign visitors present during the flood.
The district authorities have recovered 169 bodies so far. By Sept. 6, officials identified six of these victims. Nepal Police have requested relatives of missing Nepali and foreign nationals to provide DNA samples for identification purposes. Preference is given to samples from first-degree relatives when available. Families outside Nepal can electronically submit DNA data for comparison with recovered remains. Authorities are revising missing-person lists and identification records based on ongoing field reports.
Rescue and relief efforts converge in flood response
Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs reported that the flood from the Bhote Koshi River struck Rasuwa around 8:40 a.m. on Aug. 26. The floodwaters also caused damage in riverbank areas of Nuwakot, Dhading, and Gorkha districts. Following the disaster, the government initiated search, rescue, and emergency relief operations. Damage assessments reveal destruction to roads, bridges, homes, schools, banks, and hydropower stations. Relief teams are distributing supplies as officials evaluate the impact on affected communities.
The UAE’s deployment continues to prioritize search operations, aerial surveys, and detailed mapping to support ground teams. Relief efforts also include distributing food parcels and essential supplies in flood- and landslide-affected communities. Nepali authorities maintain ongoing rescue, recovery, and identification operations throughout Rasuwa, updating records of missing individuals. As of Sept. 7, these figures remain subject to change as field teams report new findings from search sites.