More than 270 people have been confirmed dead and over 1,300 others remain missing after devastating flash floods and landslides struck the Nepal-Tibet border region, authorities said on Thursday.
The missing include hundreds of tourists, trekkers, mountaineers and Hindu pilgrims from multiple countries who were travelling in the Himalayan region when the disaster unfolded.
Rescue teams continue to search for survivors, but officials caution that the situation remains fluid and that conflicting figures reflect the difficulty of accounting for victims and missing persons across both sides of the border.
Confusion over missing persons totals
Authorities said duplicate counting of people holding dual nationality, the identification of bodies previously listed as missing and the chaos that typically follows large-scale disasters have all contributed to fluctuations in the numbers.
Nepal's disaster management agency reported 823 people missing, including at least 517 foreign nationals, but did not provide a breakdown by nationality.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Tourism Board said a total of 644 tourists, both Nepalese and foreign, were unaccounted for as of Thursday.
Hundreds missing on both sides of the border
Across the border in Tibet, Chinese authorities reported 558 people missing, including 260 foreign nationals.
Updated figures released by Nepal's tourism authorities showed that 127 Nepalese visitors were among those listed as missing, although it remained unclear how many local residents from affected communities had yet to be accounted for.
China's Foreign Ministry said that nearly 100 Chinese nationals were among those missing in Nepal.
Foreign trekkers and pilgrims affected
The Himalayan region attracts thousands of international visitors each year, many of them drawn to some of the world's highest mountains and important pilgrimage routes.
Several Nepal-based tour operators also reported missing foreign travellers.
Among those listed as unaccounted for were:
- 77 people linked to Trekkers Society.
- 26 people linked to Kailash Journey.
- Eight people linked to Richa Tours & Travels.
It was not immediately clear whether those individuals were already included in the latest figures released by the Nepal Tourism Board.
Search efforts continue
Authorities on both sides of the border continue rescue and recovery operations as they attempt to verify casualty and missing persons figures.
The floods and landslides are among the deadliest disasters to hit the Himalayan region in recent years, with officials warning that the numbers may continue to change as identification efforts proceed.
Source: CNA
