India sends 11-member rescue team to Nepal as flash floods claim over 500 lives

Kathmandu: An 11-member Indian team arrived in Nepal on Saturday to assist local authorities following flash floods that killed more than 500 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, according to Indian embassy sources.

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The team is being sent to areas affected by the flash floods in the Himalayan nation, where rescue and relief operations are being carried out on an immense level.

Massive flash floods swept through Rasuwa and other parts of central Nepal on Wednesday, killing over 500 people and causing widespread damage to settlements, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.

On Friday, Nepal said it wants to "prioritise" maximum deployment of its own security forces, which are familiar with local environmental conditions and rugged terrain. However, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said the government is ready to take international assistance in difficult cases, where special technical skills are required for extremely complex physical structures.

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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.