Nepali rescue workers test drones to deliver aid across flood-cut rivers

A drone the size of a large dining table lifted rice, instant noodles, clothing and sanitary pads over Nepal’s Trishuli River in a test aimed at reaching communities cut off by floods and landslides.

About a dozen private drone operators, army volunteers and police officers gathered in Devighat, in the central town of Bidur, on Aug. 29. They tested whether the aircraft could move essential supplies to the opposite bank after the disaster snapped bridges and roads and pulled down utility poles.

The drone can carry up to 220 pounds, or 100 kilograms. The team took a cautious approach, loading roughly 130 pounds, or 59 kilograms, for its first flight. Light rain slowed the process of securing the packages with ropes and carabiners.

The aircraft did not land on the far bank. It hovered while testers unloaded the goods, completing a round trip in about three minutes. The group repeated the trial several times and said its method worked. It plans to take the findings to authorities, who will assess whether this type of delivery can accelerate relief operations.

The need for speed is acute. The floods destroyed more than 35 bridges and damaged about 25 miles of roads, including parts of major highways. The United Nations estimates that about 10,000 households were affected. Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle told Reuters that rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure could require more than $4 billion. Nepal has also requested portable bridges from other countries.