Taiwan prepares search & rescue team after Nepal‑Tibet flood

Taipei, Aug. 27 (CNA) Taiwan has prepared its national search and rescue team to travel to Nepal after a catastrophic flash flood struck near the Nepal‑Tibet border on Wednesday, officials said Thursday.

The government on Wednesday ordered the national special search and rescue team and rotating units from Tainan, Hsinchu City and Chiayi County to prepare for departure, National Fire Agency Director‑General Hsiao Huang‑chang (蕭煥章) said.

Although Taiwan has yet to receive a request for help, the national special rescue and research team will respond swiftly, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), to requests for rescue operations from affected countries, he told a news conference following the weekly Cabinet meeting.

At the event, Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) conveyed Premier Cho Jung-tai's (卓榮泰) deep sorrow over the disaster and the loss of life.

Cho had instructed Cabinet officials to determine whether any Taiwanese nationals were affected and to assess local rescue needs, Lee said.

Richard Liu (劉昆豪), deputy head of the MOFA's Department of East Asia and Pacific Affairs, said no reports have been received of Taiwanese nationals being trapped or affected.

Liu added that Nepal has not requested assistance from Taiwan as of Thursday noon.

Initial reports suggested an earthquake along the Nepal‑China border had triggered the flood, but the U.S. Geological Survey later ruled that out, confirming the disaster was caused by a Himalayan glacier collapse and debris flow, international media said.

As of Thursday afternoon, more than 800 people were missing in Nepal, where 177 bodies had been recovered. In Tibet, 558 were listed as missing and three deaths confirmed, though it remains unclear whether the figures overlap, the BBC reported.