Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said Friday that the country does not need foreign assistance for search and rescue operations after devastating floods. Kathmandu has rejected offers from eight countries, despite reports that citizens of several nations are missing in the disaster. The government said it is relying on Nepali rescue teams and administrative authorities while seeking financial assistance from abroad.

Flash floods have swept away entire settlements in several areas, including Rasuwa district near the Chinese border. Hydropower projects were also damaged. The death toll has reached nearly 500, while hundreds of foreign nationals remain missing, according to the report.

Former Nepal ambassador to the United Nations Dinesh Bhattarai said the geographic sensitivity of Rasuwa, which borders China’s Tibet region, may have influenced the government’s reluctance to accept foreign rescue teams. Government spokesperson Lok Bahadur Chhetri denied any link to Chinese sensitivities, saying Nepal’s own teams are conducting the operation. China’s Foreign Ministry gave no immediate comment, while Chinese state media reported that President Xi Jinping sent condolences to Nepal’s president.