The case for transparency in Nepal flood rescue flights

When floods wash away the roads, the sky becomes the last road left. That is why a reporter’s decision to keep questioning a pilot beside a helicopter at Tribhuvan International Airport has troubled the author, who feared the delay could have affected rescue efforts.

The author connects the scene to a personal concern. A classmate stranded at a high-altitude location in Rasuwa had said his food supplies were nearly exhausted. While the friend waited for help, the reporter appeared to be holding a helicopter on the ground for another quote. The article does not establish whether the flight was a rescue mission, but presents the incident as a symbol of misplaced priorities during an emergency.

The floods have also produced what the author calls familiar political theatre. Ministers, lawmakers and media crews travelled to devastated areas, often accompanied by security personnel and cameras. They viewed villages cut off by floodwater, spoke with some residents and returned to Kathmandu, while photographs of the visits circulated.

On the ground, conditions remained stark. Roads along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers in Nuwakot and Rasuwa had disappeared beneath landslides and floodwater. Security personnel, volunteers and families searched through mud and sludge for survivors, bodies and body parts. With bridges and highways gone, helicopters carried an unusually heavy responsibility.

An adviser to Nepal’s foreign minister told the author that a shortage of landing sites led the government to reject requests from some foreign states to send their own helicopters. High-altitude operations leave little room for error. Thin air, sudden weather changes, unstable mountain winds, limited fuel and short flying windows all restrict what aircraft can do. At a small helipad near Rasuwa or Dhunche, one political delegation or television crew can force rescue flights to circle, wait or burn fuel. The article’s demand is direct: every flight should serve the rescue effort, and its use should be open to scrutiny.