33 Britons Missing After Nepal-Tibet Flood
Nepal-Tibet flash flood Thirty-three UK nationals, including a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, are among hundreds of people still missing after devastating flash floods near the Nepal-Tibet border.
Nepali police said 270 bodies have been recovered from areas affected by the disaster, while Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said more than 1,300 people remain missing. The Nepal Tourism Board separately reported that 644 tourists are currently out of contact.
UK authorities have said they are working with Nepalese officials to establish the whereabouts of British nationals caught up in the disaster.
Tour Group of 12 Britons Unaccounted For Nepal-Tibet flash flood
Alpine Eco Trek, a company that organises guided expeditions in Nepal, told the BBC it had been unable to contact a group of 12 British tourists who were travelling to Mount Kailash when the floods struck.
Travel records shared with the Press Association showed that the missing Britons are aged between 13 and 65. The youngest person in the group is a 13-year-old girl.
The company said it attempted to arrange a rescue helicopter, but difficult weather conditions prevented the aircraft from operating. It said it would continue supporting rescue efforts.
Four Nepalese guides working for the company are also missing.
Manager Kumar Adhikari said he had been communicating with the guides until 08:40 local time, when they were expected to arrive at an immigration office on the Tibetan side of the border. Their phones subsequently became disconnected.
Adhikari said the company initially hoped the group was safe inside the immigration facility, but footage released by Chinese authorities later showed that the Tibetan side had also been affected by flooding.
He said the company had been communicating with relatives of the missing British tourists but could not provide them with confirmed information. The firm has also been in contact with the British consulate and supplied copies of the travellers’ passports.
“I feel so sad,” Adhikari said, describing the situation as a period of “deep pain”.
More British Tourists Reported Missing Nepal-Tibet flash flood
Other tour operators have also reported British nationals among groups affected by the disaster.
The Trekkers’ Society, which organises trips across Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan, said nine UK nationals travelling on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash were missing after crossing the Nepal-Tibet border.
The group consists of four men aged between 14 and 50 and five women aged between 40 and 53. The organisation said they were at the Chinese immigration point when the flooding occurred and that contact with their tour guide had since been lost.
Himalayan Glacier US also reported losing contact with a group of 47 tourists and staff travelling to Mount Kailash, a site regarded as the spiritual home of the Hindu god Shiva. Two British nationals were among the group.
Another operator, Kailash Journeys, said it had lost contact with 27 guests and staff. The group was last reached early on Wednesday morning, and information supplied to the BBC identified two British men among those missing.
Fishtail Tours, a Nepalese company running climbing expeditions and tours in Nepal and Bhutan, also said one British national was unaccounted for.
UK Offers £5m in Disaster Assistance Nepal-Tibet flash flood
UK officials have pledged support to Nepal as rescue and recovery operations continue.
Andy Burnham said the UK had offered £5m to assist the Nepalese government, describing the disaster as a “very distressing and devastating situation”.
The UK Foreign Office said it was working closely with Nepalese authorities after receiving reports that British nationals were missing. It urged UK citizens in affected areas to follow instructions from local authorities and remain alert as conditions change.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he had spoken with his Nepalese counterpart and promised that Britain would provide support during the emergency.
Miliband said the UK had offered financial assistance, search-and-rescue support and other help as Nepal responds to the disaster.
The British embassy in Nepal, together with Australia, the European Union, Finland, France, Norway and Switzerland, also urged British nationals to exercise caution in areas affected by the flooding.
Deadly Flood Hit Nepal on Wednesday
The disaster struck early on Wednesday in Rasuwa, an area north of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.
Initial reports indicated that an earthquake may have triggered the disaster. However, further analysis by the US Geological Survey found that the seismic energy was generated by a landslide.
The USGS said a magnitude 5.2 seismic event occurred close to the border at 08:37 local time and was associated with a glacial collapse and debris flow.
The resulting flood sent a powerful mixture of water, mud and debris through valleys and settlements. CCTV footage showed a large wall of water and mud striking buildings close to a border crossing, while footage recorded from inside a bus in Trishuli showed people attempting to escape the rapidly advancing flood.
Tibet Also Hit by Deadly Mudslide
The disaster was not confined to Nepal. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that a mudslide in Tibet’s Gyirong area killed three people and left 265 others missing.
Rescue teams on both sides of the border have been working to reach affected communities and locate people who remain unaccounted for.
The scale of the disaster has left families waiting for information about relatives, while authorities and tour operators continue efforts to establish the whereabouts of missing residents, tourists and guides.