Thirty-three British citizens including a ۱۳-year-old girl are among more than ۴۰۰ travellers missing after a flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border, according to Nepal’s tourism board.
The sudden flood happened on the Tibetan side of the Bhote Koshi River at about ۸.۳۰am local time on Wednesday. The ۳۳ UK citizens are among at least ۳۴۱ foreign nationals unaccounted for.
Alpine Eco Trek, which offers guided tours and expeditions in Nepal, said ۱۲ British nationals on its tour across the border were missing.
Speaking to the Press Association from the affected area, Ram Kumar Adhikari, the owner of Alpine Eco Trek, said: “Not much info to share at the moment, but yes we have ۱۲ British citizens (supposed) to make entry this morning.” The age of the missing British citizens ranged from ۱۳ to ۶۵, according to travel logs shared with PA.
The tourist board said more than ۱۰۰ of the missing people were yet to have a nationality confirmed. A police official told Reuters a total of ۹۵ bodies had been recovered in the still-unfolding disaster.
A wall of mud and rock appeared to have collapsed into the river on the Himalayan border of Nepal and Tibet, triggering catastrophic flooding on the Nepali side, Reuters reported. It said verified videos showed dozens of people being swept away at the border.
Houses, roads and power projects were destroyed in Nepal, while officials in Tibet said they feared “major casualties”, with some people missing in the county of Gyirong after a mudslide hit a border land crossing.
Initial reports suggested an earthquake had triggered an avalanche and caused the floods, Shisir Khanal, Nepal’s foreign minister, told the country’s parliament.
Eight South Koreans working on a hydropower plant were missing and ۱۰ others were stranded, South Korea’s foreign ministry said.
Local authorities said tourists in the Rasuwa district of Nepal and other areas along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers should “exercise extreme caution”, remain in safe areas and move to higher ground if required.
Visitors were urged to stay in regular contact with hotels and travel agencies. People planning to travel to the affected areas in the coming days were warned to postpone their journeys.
The UK’s foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, said: “I am deeply concerned to hear of the flash floods on the Nepal-China border. All my thoughts are with those affected and with British nationals in the area and their relatives here at home.”
The British embassy in Kathmandu urged people in affected areas to follow local advice. A joint statement with the embassies of Australia, the EU, Finland, France, Norway and Switzerland said: “We are deeply saddened by the devastating flooding in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts and surrounding areas. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster. We express our solidarity with the people of Nepal during this difficult time.
“We encourage all those in affected areas to follow the guidance of local authorities and official safety advisories as the situation continues to evolve.”
