The 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. 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.

According to the Nepal Police 178 Indians, 65 Americans, 51 Malaysian, 53 Ukrainians, 33 British, 35 Australians, 25 Canadians, and nationals from other three dozen countries are missing since Wednesday. Chinese officials said at least 100 Chinese nationals are out of contact in Nepal. Meanwhile, India’s foreign ministry said more than 200 Indian nationals are seeking evacuation who have been trapped in the floods.

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.

After hundreds of its nationals went missing or lost contact following the floods, the Indian government had requested permission to deploy its National Disaster Response Force to Nepal. The government declined the request.