RASUWA, NEPAL / RankWire.AI / – The UAE Search and Rescue Team is carrying out field operations in Nepal’s Rasuwa district after severe flooding struck the region. Crews are supporting Nepali authorities as they search damaged communities and difficult terrain. The team is using drones, aerial imaging and three-dimensional mapping to survey affected areas. The equipment gives search crews detailed views of locations where floodwaters damaged roads, buildings and other infrastructure.
UAE personnel are coordinating with local authorities to direct teams toward priority search zones across the district. Hamoud Al Afari, director of UAE relief operations, said technical equipment is helping crews search for missing people. Teams have combined ground searches with aerial surveys in areas where damaged roads have limited normal access. The operation focuses on identifying affected locations, mapping routes and supporting rescue personnel working across the flood zone.
The search and rescue unit reached Nepal aboard the UAE’s third relief flight on Sept. 4. The aircraft also carried 20 tonnes of humanitarian supplies for flood-affected communities. Officials said the shipment brought total UAE relief deliveries to 148 tonnes. Personnel from Dubai Police joined the specialized deployment with equipment for disaster response. The UAE Aid Agency is overseeing a $10 million assistance package that includes food, shelter materials, generators and other essential supplies.
Search teams expand operations across Rasuwa
Authorities in Rasuwa reported 1,356 rescues through the evening of Sept. 6. The figure included 1,270 Nepali citizens and 86 foreign nationals. Helicopters also transported 1,414 flood-affected people and stranded pilgrims to Nuwakot and Kathmandu. Local officials continue updating lists of people who remain out of contact. The records include residents, government employees, security personnel, bank workers and foreign visitors who were in affected areas when the flood struck.
District authorities also recorded 169 recovered bodies as search operations continued. Officials had identified six of the recovered victims by Sept. 6. Nepal Police asked relatives of missing Nepali and foreign nationals to provide DNA profiles for identification work. Authorities prefer samples from first-degree relatives when they are available. Families living outside Nepal can submit DNA information electronically for comparison with recovered remains. Officials continue revising missing-person and identification records as field teams report new findings.
Flood response combines rescue and relief work
Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs said the Bhote Koshi River flood hit Rasuwa at about 8:40 a.m. on Aug. 26. Floodwaters also caused damage in riverbank areas of Nuwakot, Dhading and Gorkha districts. The government launched search, rescue and emergency relief operations after the disaster. Authorities have recorded damage to roads, bridges, homes, schools, banks and hydropower facilities. Relief teams have also distributed supplies while officials assess damage across affected communities.
The UAE deployment remains focused on search locations, aerial surveys and detailed mapping for crews working on the ground. Relief personnel are also distributing food parcels and essential items in communities affected by flooding and landslides. Nepali authorities continue rescue, recovery and identification work across Rasuwa while maintaining updated records of missing people. The district’s figures remained subject to revision on Sept. 7 as field teams continued reporting results from search sites.