Fifteen British nationals are reported to be missing in China as the search continues for survivors of the devastating flooding in Nepal and Tibet.
Nepali and Chinese authorities confirmed an updated death toll of at least ۸۱۰ on Sunday. More than ۳,۰۰۰ people are believed missing after flash floods triggered by a massive glacier collapse in the Himalayas on Wednesday engulfed Gyirong port on the Nepal-China border.
The ۱۵ missing British people are among ۲۶۱ foreign nationals from ۲۳ countries missing in China, according to figures released by Chinese authorities, bringing the total of missing Britons between Tibet and Nepal to ۴۸. The Tibet autonomous region’s government said the total missing there also included ۱۰۴ Nepalis, ۴۹ people from India, ۳۳ from Latvia and ۱۸ from the US.
Thirty-three British people had already been declared missing on the Nepal side of the border. Some were on a pilgrimage at the time of the flood, including Hemangini Jitendra Patel and Hema Sunil Amin, two sisters who were last seen on the Friendship Bridge on the border.
The figure for missing Americans has been disputed by the US state department, which declared on Sunday that at least ۸۵ US citizens were missing. The department’s spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, said getting accurate information from the region had been difficult, “made even more so by the devastation and the remoteness that we see”.
Chinese authorities have said at least ۱۶ people have died on their side of the border. But there are concerns over a possible lack of transparency from the Chinese government, which has prevented footage of the floods from being shared in the country and may have downplayed the casualties.
Police in Nepal said ۷۹۴ people had been confirmed to have died there and at least ۲,۷۴۲ injured. Numerous areas remain at risk of fresh flooding and people who have returned to their homes have been told to remain alert and be prepared to evacuate again at short notice.
Rescue efforts have been affected by the threat of landslides and dangerous weather as well as confusion over which side of the border victims had been on when the waters struck.
Chinese state television reported that officials in Beijing, far better resourced than their Nepali counterparts, had mobilised more than ۲,۱۰۰ rescue workers and allocated more than ۲۲۰m yuan (£۲۴m) to support relief efforts.
Equipment and supplies have been airdropped to frontline workers, while Chinese soldiers used life-detection equipment to look for the missing, CCTV said. The Chinese premier, Li Qiang, had already travelled to the region.
Numerous countries have pledged to help Nepal, including the US, which has offered $۳.۶m (£۲.۷m) in humanitarian aid, “including up to three months of emergency food assistance to up to ۱۰,۰۰۰ flood-affected households”, on top of $۵۰۰,۰۰۰ previously pledged, and Australia, which will donate more than $۳m in assistance.
Britain has committed £۵m to Nepal and sent a rapid deployment team, which arrived in Kathmandu on Saturday.
A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are working around the clock to support British nationals and their families affected by the devastating floods on the Nepal-China border. We are coordinating closely with the Nepali and Chinese authorities and have deployed consular support staff to the region to ensure British nationals can access support.”
