Nepal floods: could foreign rescue teams have been brought in earlier?

The Nepalese government has appealed for rescue aid from other countries just two days after it reportedly refused help, as several hundred people are still believed to be trapped in hydropower tunnels and thousands remain missing following the catastrophic flash flooding at the border with China last week.Kathmandu’s apparent reversal reflects caution born from its chaotic experience with foreign teams after the 2015 earthquake, according to observers. Other factors include the government’s need to tightly control relief operations and failure to anticipate how quickly domestic capabilities can be overwhelmed in the aftermath.Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said the country had requested “specific specialised assistance” – including technology to locate people in affected areas and provide quick forensics and DNA analysis, as well as mortuaries to preserve dead bodies. He dismissed media reports rejecting international help and support as “false”.