India has delivered the first consignment of components for a 70-metre Bailey bridge to Nepal, handed over to Nepal’s Road Division in Hetauda, with additional components expected in the coming days.
The portable, prefabricated bridge will help restore connectivity in Betrawati, one of the areas severely affected by catastrophic flash floods that struck Nepal on 26 August, triggered by the partial collapse of a mountain glacier in Langtang National Park. The disaster has killed nearly 1,400 people, with more than 5,000 still missing across northern and central Nepal.
A Bailey bridge is a portable, prefabricated modular steel truss bridge that can be assembled quickly without heavy machinery, making it well suited for emergency reconstruction efforts.
The bridge delivery forms part of India’s broader humanitarian response, which has included more than 130 tonnes of relief material and 54 expert personnel supporting Nepal’s rescue, relief and forensic operations, along with specialised tunnel and mud-rescue equipment, DNA kits and forensic equipment. The Indian Air Force has operated at least eight special flights to deliver relief supplies, while an Indian tunnel rescue team has been working with the Nepal Army in search operations.
