Captain Priya Adhikari, Nepal’s first woman helicopter captain, has flown around 100 rescue missions in six days as rescue operations continue after catastrophic flash floods and landslides struck Nepal’s northern border region on August 26. Timure in Rasuwa district has been among the worst-affected areas, with roads, bridges and other infrastructure destroyed, making helicopters a crucial link to isolated communities.
Around 20 helicopters have been involved in operations around Timure, where pilots have sometimes had to coordinate five or six aircraft landing in the same area to evacuate survivors. The disaster has killed at least 1,114 people in Nepal and left nearly 4,000 missing, according to the latest reporting, while rescue teams continue searching for survivors and people trapped in damaged hydropower facilities.
Dangerous Rescue Flights
Adhikari’s missions have involved navigating a narrow Himalayan valley where the ground itself can be hazardous. Thick layers of mud left by the floods can appear stable from the air but may not be strong enough to support a helicopter. In some locations, pilots have therefore had to keep their engines running after landing while survivors are brought aboard. With several helicopters operating in the same confined area, pilots have also had to remain in constant radio communication to coordinate landings and avoid collisions.
A Pilot’s Journey
Adhikari’s route into helicopter aviation began outside the cockpit. She studied environmental science and worked as cabin crew before a helicopter ride sparked her interest in becoming a pilot. She later travelled to the Philippines for helicopter training and became a full-time helicopter pilot in 2017. She subsequently developed expertise in high-altitude search-and-rescue operations in the Himalayas, including missions involving injured climbers at altitudes of around 6,200 metres.
That experience has proved particularly relevant during the current disaster, when conventional access to remote communities has been severely disrupted. Her role, however, is one part of a much larger operation involving helicopter crews, the Nepal Army, police, emergency responders and local communities. Nepal’s official Rasuwa flood rescue portal continues to record people being rescued, found safe, injured or reported missing, underlining that the emergency remains active.
Rescue Effort Continues
The August 26 disaster has created an enormous humanitarian and logistical challenge across Nepal’s Himalayan region and neighbouring Tibet. In Nepal, rescuers are still searching areas around damaged hydropower projects, where hundreds of workers are believed to be unaccounted for. Roads and other infrastructure have been badly damaged, slowing ground-based rescue and relief efforts.
Nepal’s government has continued coordinating search, rescue and relief operations, while the official Rasuwa rescue portal provides information on missing people, rescue requests and government response efforts. Recent reporting indicates that authorities are increasingly moving towards recovery and reconstruction while continuing searches in locations where survivors may still be trapped.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Priya Adhikari’s story is powerful not simply because she broke a barrier as Nepal’s first woman helicopter captain, but because specialised skills can become indispensable when ordinary systems collapse. Her nearly 100 missions are part of a collective response involving pilots, security personnel, rescue workers and local communities working under extraordinary conditions.
At the same time, the scale of the disaster reminds us that rescue cannot end with evacuation: affected families will need sustained shelter, medical care, psychological support and help rebuilding their lives. The courage shown in the skies must be matched by long-term preparedness and compassionate recovery on the ground.
As Himalayan communities face increasingly complex disaster risks, what more can governments and societies do to ensure that people are better protected before the next crisis strikes?
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