PM Shah: State Will Reach Every Citizen Awaiting Rescue

Kathmandu / Aug. 28, 2026: Prime Minister Balen Shah has said the government is giving top priority to the rescue, relief and rehabilitation of citizens affected by the recent disasters.

In a message posted on Facebook on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan on Friday, Prime Minister Shah said the state stands with every family affected by the disaster and pledged that the government would reach every citizen awaiting rescue.

According to Shah, 15,431 security personnel from the Nepal Police, Nepali Army and Armed Police Force have been deployed in the affected areas, including Rasuwa and the Bhotekoshi–Trishuli corridor. The deployment includes 4,473 Nepal Police personnel, 6,755 Nepali Army personnel and 4,203 Armed Police Force personnel.

So far, 4,451 people have been rescued, including 191 people rescued from hydropower tunnels and 517 through aerial rescue. A total of 16 helicopters operated by the Nepali Army and private sector are conducting continuous rescue flights to areas including Dhunche, Trishuli, Timure and Syafrubesi. So far, 99 aerial flights have been completed.

Relief supplies are also being delivered to affected communities. The government has sent 32 truckloads of food and non-food items, while six additional helicopter flights have delivered relief materials. Communication equipment has also been dispatched to affected areas.

The rescue of citizens and workers trapped inside tunnels has been given high priority. Search and rescue operations are continuing at the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Centre, Upper Trishuli Hydropower Project and other high-risk tunnels, with specialized rescue equipment being mobilized.

Search operations for missing people and bodies have also been extended downstream. Additional security personnel have been deployed along the Trishuli–Narayani river corridor from Rasuwa through Nuwakot and Dhading to Gorkha, Tanahun, Chitwan and Nawalparasi.

The government is also coordinating the search, rescue and identification of foreign nationals. So far, 129 foreign tourists and citizens have been rescued or identified, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established an Emergency Control Room to coordinate with embassies and families.

Prime Minister Shah dismissed reports that Nepal had rejected foreign assistance as misleading. He said the government is in continuous coordination with India, China and international partners for necessary rescue and relief support and supplies.

Authorities are closely monitoring the risk of renewed flooding in the Bhotekoshi and downstream areas. Preparations have been made for early warnings and relocation to safer areas, with more than 200,000 SMS alerts sent to citizens in vulnerable areas.

Road connectivity is also being restored. Alternative routes have been opened for small four-wheeled vehicles, while the Kathmandu–Mugling road has resumed one-way operation. Rasuwa has also been reconnected to the road network through an alternative route, and bypass construction has begun at damaged bridges.

Emergency arrangements have been made for drinking water, fuel and sanitation in affected areas. Four KUKL water tankers have been deployed in Nuwakot, while 900 kilograms of bleaching powder has been sent to ensure safe drinking water. Fuel stocks include 41,000 litres of diesel and 24,000 litres of petrol, with an additional 17,000 litres of aviation fuel sent to Nuwakot.

The government has deployed 15 technical teams to assess damage to roads, bridges, electricity, drinking water, telecommunications, hydropower and other infrastructure.

Health services are being maintained through an activated Health Emergency Operations Centre. Medical teams from Bir Hospital, the National Trauma Centre, Dhulikhel Hospital and other institutions have been deployed. Six hospitals have been placed on standby, while tents and emergency health supplies have been arranged for at least 5,000 people.

Telecommunications services are gradually being restored. Of the 198 affected towers and sites, 145 are now operational—including 82 of Nepal Telecom’s 120 sites and 63 of Ncell’s 78 sites. Work is continuing to restore the remaining sites.

Electricity services have also resumed in approximately 90 percent of Nuwakot, while work is underway to restore electricity in Dhunche.

For immediate relief and emergency management, the government has provided Rs 67.5 million to 15 affected local levels. More than Rs 1.9 billion has been collected in the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund over the past approximately 36 hours. A relief and rehabilitation package for affected individuals, families and businesses is also being prepared.

Prime Minister Shah said national and international support is being coordinated through security agencies, health institutions, the Red Cross, Nepal Scouts, volunteer organizations, the private sector and development partners.

Meanwhile, Shah congratulated Nepali MMA fighter Rabindra Dhant for winning his bout in Road to UFC and advancing to the final. He also thanked Dhant for helping inform the international community about the disaster situation in Nepal.

“The government’s entire attention is currently focused on the affected citizens,” Shah said, adding that the government is continuously assessing the situation on the ground, making necessary decisions and mobilizing resources according to the actual needs of affected communities.