A specialised 11-member Indian medical and tunnel-rescue team arrived in Nepal on Saturday, August 29, joining efforts to save lives and assist authorities in some of the most difficult areas affected by the devastating Himalayan floods.
The Indian contingent includes medical personnel and tunnel-rescue specialists trained to operate in complex environments where victims may be trapped inside damaged tunnels and infrastructure.
The team was deployed at the request of the Nepal government as rescue agencies confront severe challenges caused by destroyed roads, damaged bridges, mud-filled structures and difficult mountainous terrain.
Nepal has said that while its own security forces will remain at the centre of the overall rescue operation, international assistance is required in technically demanding areas where specialised expertise and equipment are needed.
One of the major concerns is rescuing people feared trapped inside damaged infrastructure, including tunnel systems and hydropower facilities affected by the disaster.
The floods have caused massive destruction across parts of Nepal near the Chinese border, damaging settlements, transport links, bridges and power infrastructure and leaving thousands of families awaiting news of missing relatives.
India has already been supplying humanitarian assistance to Nepal, while the arrival of the specialist team represents an expansion of support from emergency supplies to hands-on technical rescue and medical assistance.
Nepal has also sought help in restoring critical infrastructure, including assistance from India and China for Bailey bridges to reconnect areas where road links have been washed away.
The Indian specialists are expected to work alongside Nepalese agencies, assessing difficult rescue sites and providing expertise where conventional operations may not be sufficient.
As rescue teams continue to operate amid unstable terrain and the risk of additional flooding, the deployment highlights the role of specialised responders working in dangerous conditions to reach people trapped in some of the disaster’s hardest-hit locations.
source – PTI
Supreme News Network
