Nepal has not rejected offers of international rescue assistance, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said on Saturday, dismissing reports that Kathmandu had turned away foreign rescue teams.

Speaking at a news conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khanal said decisions on deploying foreign personnel and equipment were being made on the recommendations of Nepali security agencies leading rescue operations on the ground.

The two worst-affected districts remain largely cut off after major roads and bridges were destroyed, leaving helicopters as the main means of reaching many disaster-hit areas. But Nepal’s steep terrain, narrow gorges and unpredictable weather limit the use of larger helicopters and make it difficult to deliver heavy equipment, Khanal said.

As a result, Nepal is seeking foreign assistance based on specific operational needs identified by its own security agencies, which have experience working in the country’s difficult terrain and conditions.

Khanal said Nepal continued to seek targeted technical support from friendly countries as needs emerged. A specialised Indian tunnel rescue team has already arrived, while two Chinese search-and-rescue teams are preparing to deploy, he said.

The government is also seeking help to deal with a growing crisis involving unidentified bodies recovered from the floods.

Khanal said hundreds of bodies were decomposing rapidly and Nepal had limited refrigerated storage to preserve large numbers of remains. The government has therefore asked foreign governments and international agencies to provide emergency refrigeration equipment and other facilities for body preservation.

Discussions are under way with organisations including the International Committee of the Red Cross, but no concrete commitment on refrigeration equipment has yet been secured, he said.

The destruction of roads and about 40 bridges has also made it difficult to transport food, medicine and other essentials to isolated communities.

Nepal has therefore requested heavy-lift cargo drones from international partners to deliver relief supplies to inaccessible mountain settlements, Khanal said.