PM Shah vows government will not pause disaster response

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has said Nepal’s government will continue working around the clock to respond to a deadly flash flood, telling parliament that authorities cannot stop because they are exhausted.

Addressing the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Shah said the country’s leadership must provide people with “courage, support and trust” during times of crisis.

“Even when the heart is filled with sorrow, there’s even less time to lament with each other,” Shah said, adding that the government had “no choice but to fight this disaster”.

Shah was speaking about the flash flood in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa district on August 26, which killed and displaced people and left several others missing.

He paid tribute to those who died and offered condolences to their families. He also wished those injured in the disaster a speedy recovery and acknowledged the distress of families still searching for missing relatives.

“This pain is not just of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, or Dhading; it is a collective thunderbolt struck on the heart of the entire Nepal,” Shah said.

The prime minister also briefed lawmakers on the government’s rescue and relief operations for people affected by the flash floods.