More than 1,300 people have been reported missing and at least 165 killed after flash floods and landslides struck the Nepal-Tibet border, with hundreds of foreign tourists and nationals still unaccounted for.
Nepal’s disaster agency said 823 people were missing on Thursday, including at least 579 Nepali and foreign tourists. Across the border, Chinese authorities said 558 people were missing, nearly half of them foreigners.
The figures remain fluid as rescue teams work to establish the identities of those missing and account for people who may have been listed more than once. Authorities have also cautioned that the numbers could change as communications are restored and bodies are identified.
Indians among largest groups missing
More than 300 Indians are missing, Nepal Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said Thursday, according to PTI. Earlier, 133 Indians and 37 non-resident Indians had been reported missing. At least 50 of them were pilgrims travelling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
Chinese authorities separately reported 298 Chinese nationals missing. Ukraine said 53 of its nationals were believed to be missing, including a group of 46 tourists who had lost contact with authorities.
Australia reported 34 missing nationals, while Malaysia said more than 50 Malaysians in Nepal were unreachable. The UK reported at least 14 citizens missing, while South Korea said nine hydropower workers were out of contact in Rasuwa district.
Japan said five nationals were feared missing. Four South Africans, three US citizens, two Portuguese nationals, five New Zealanders, 10 Canadians and two Singaporeans were also reported missing by their governments or tour operators.
Italy said two nationals and their guide were stranded upstream of a landslide but were receiving assistance. The Italian Foreign Ministry said it was monitoring the situation involving around 90 Italian citizens known to be in Nepal and Tibet.
The Netherlands also reported one citizen missing.
Figures remain uncertain
China’s missing-person figure included 260 foreigners, but authorities did not provide a nationality-wise breakdown. Several tour operators have also reported missing foreign nationals whose identities have not yet been confirmed.
These include 77 people listed by Trekkers Society, 26 by Kailash Journey and eight by Richa Tours & Travels.
The discrepancies underline the difficulty of establishing an accurate toll after a disaster of this scale. Double-counting, dual nationalities, delayed communication and the process of matching recovered bodies with missing-person reports could all cause the figures to rise or fall in the coming days.
(With inputs from AFP, PTI)
