The Nepalese government has turned down offers from several countries to send search and rescue teams to Nepal as 517 foreign nationals remain missing since Wednesday’s Bhotekoshi floods.

Axar.az reports, citing The Kathmandu Post, that it said Nepali security agencies can handle the operation.

Instead, Nepal wants cash contributions through a one-door mechanism. Officials say additional financial aid and other support will be sought during the reconstruction phase.

Some countries have already announced financial assistance, while more have expressed their willingness to support Nepal in search, rescue, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.

A senior foreign ministry official said the government has received multiple official and unofficial requests from countries and organisations to send their own search and rescue team. However, the government has told them that Nepal’s own security agencies are capable of handling the operation.

Officials from India, China, US, UK, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have asked the government to allow their search and rescue teams to assist in the search and rescue.

The government made the decision after its experience in the 2015 earthquake, when the influx of foreign search and rescue teams and competition among countries caused significant coordination and management issues, the official said.

The decision was taken on the recommendation of the Nepali Army and police.

It should be noted that floods began in northern Nepal on August 26 after a mass of ice and rocks slid into the upper section of the Bhotekoshi River.