Nepal’s First Female Helicopter Captain Completes Nearly 100 Rescue Missions in Six Days

In Brief:

1. Priya Adhikari flew nearly 100 rescue missions over six days to evacuate victims in flood-hit Himalayan regions.
2. She described the operation as more challenging than the 2015 Nepal earthquake due to extreme destruction concentrated in narrow valleys.
3. Adhikari and her team maintained continuous operations despite severe pilot exhaustion and hazardous flying conditions.

Captain Priya Adhikari, recognized as Nepal's first female helicopter captain, has emerged as a central figure in emergency relief operations following catastrophic flooding across the country's northern mountainous region. Over a six-day span, Captain Adhikari executed nearly 100 high-altitude rescue sorties through tight Himalayan valleys to evacuate stranded villagers and deliver essential supplies. Reflecting on the mission, she noted that navigating the narrow, disaster-stricken terrain proved even more perilous than the aerial responses conducted during the devastating 2015 Nepal earthquake. Despite acute physical exhaustion and dangerous weather patterns, Adhikari and her fellow aviators maintained nonstop flight cycles to maximize life-saving extractions across isolated terrain.