Nepal-Tibet disaster: Singapore to send police officers specialising in disaster victim identification
Singapore will also deliver humanitarian assistance comprising both civilian and Singapore Armed Forces supplies to Nepal, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
An undated handout photo of rescue workers taking part in a rescue operation near the tunnel of the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project, following deadly flash floods and mudslides, in Rasuwa, Nepal. (File photo: Reuters/Nepal Army)
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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) will deploy a team to disaster-hit Nepal, including officers specialising in disaster victim identification, following deadly flash floods and landslides at the country’s border with Tibet last week.
The deployment is in line with Nepal’s request, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Monday (Aug 31).
Singapore will also send humanitarian supplies and personnel to support Nepal's ongoing relief efforts, including supplies from civilian sources and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).
The latest assistance comes on top of the government's earlier contribution of US$100,000 to the Singapore Red Cross’ (SRC) public fundraising in support of relief efforts in Nepal.
The SRC has raised around S$1 million to date, MFA said.
At least nine Singaporeans were listed as missing by the Nepal Tourism Board last week.
MFA said on Monday that its crisis response team has been deployed to Nepal since Aug 27 to provide consular assistance to Singaporeans affected by the disaster.
“The Singapore government will continue to work closely with the Nepal government on the provision of our humanitarian assistance,” the ministry said.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan spoke with Nepal Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal on Monday to express Singapore’s condolences.
“Minister Balakrishnan commended the Nepal government’s disaster relief efforts and expressed appreciation for the Nepal government’s assistance in the search for missing Singaporeans,” MFA said.
“Minister Khanal expressed Nepal’s appreciation for the Singapore government’s assistance.”
More than 900 people have died and nearly 5,000 remain missing five days after a huge wave of freezing water, rocks and debris smashed into villages and towns at the border between Nepal and China's Tibet on Aug 26.
The disaster was triggered by a glacial collapse, according to the US Geological Survey. While the exact cause of that collapse remains unclear, climate change is causing glaciers to melt worldwide, raising the risk of such disasters.
Mr Khanal on Saturday called for forensic testing kits to identify the recovered bodies and freezer units to store them, citing Nepal's limited healthcare capacity.
He also said Nepal required specialist assistance to rescue people trapped in tunnels, restore transport and communication lines where bridges had been destroyed, and conduct DNA testing on recovered bodies.
