Chinese-made drones are airlifting the bodies of flood victims and delivering food to survivors in the aftermath of devastating flash floods on the border of Nepal and China’s Tibetan region.
Nepal’s army has been using four DJI FlyCart 100 drones donated from China to make 10 to 16 aid deliveries each day, according to Reuters. This comes after a partial glacier collapse in the Himalayan mountains unleashed a sudden surge of water, mud, and debris that swept through border crossings, valley communities, and hydropower projects on August 26.
The DJI Flycart 100 Drones come with a 30-meter rope and winch system for picking up and dropping off heavy loads. The website of Chinese drone company DJI describes the drones as being able to carry between 187 and 220 pounds, depending on the battery configuration.
The four Chinese cargo drones being used by the Nepal army are currently hauling about 132 pounds of supplies per trip, Reuters reported. That heavy-lift capability has also allowed the drones to remove human bodies from some flood-stricken areas.
The official death toll in Nepal had risen to 1,369 as of September 9, according to a situation report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. The Nepal government agency also reported that more than 5,000 people are still missing, including 587 foreign nationals.
