Nepal declines foreign rescue teams after floods kill 469

Nepal has declined offers from multiple countries to deploy specialized search and rescue teams following catastrophic flash floods that killed at least 469 people and left hundreds missing, stating its own security agencies are capable of leading the operation. The decision, influenced by coordination challenges experienced during the 2015 earthquake, comes as international assistance is being directed toward financial contributions and relief supplies. The floods struck on Wednesday, August 26, after an ice-rock avalanche near the Lhende River along the Nepal-China border sent a massive surge of water and debris into the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems.