SINGAPORE – A team of 17 policers officers and two officers from the Health Sciences Authority’s (HSA) Forensic Medicine Division departed for Nepal to support authorities there in disaster relief efforts.

This comes after torrential floods that killed more than 1,000 people along the Nepal-China Border.

The police said in a statement on Sept 2 that the teams departed for Nepal on Sept 1 and 2.

They added that they plan to deploy another team of 14 officers over the next few days to supplement the relief efforts.

The 33-member contingent is led by Contingent Commander Assistant Commissioner of Police Patrick Tan.

Sim Ann, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Second Minister for Home Affairs, was at Changi Airport to send off the advance team on Sept 1.

The contingent includes officers specialising in Disaster Victim Identification and aerial surveillance to provide support to the Nepali authorities in these areas, said the police.