Nepal floods: 53 Ukrainians considered missing, Foreign Ministry says
Nepal’s Tourist Police reported that 53 Ukrainian nationals are considered missing following flooding along the Nepal-Tibet border.
The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported this in a comment to journalists, according to Censor.NET.
What is known
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a report that contact was lost this morning with a group of tourists — 46 Ukrainian nationals — in the disaster area. Overall, according to Nepal’s Tourist Police, 53 Ukrainian nationals are currently considered missing as a result of the disaster," the ministry stated.
The Ukrainian embassies in India and China remain in contact with the relevant authorities regarding search operations that could help establish the whereabouts of the Ukrainian nationals.
No confirmed information about fatalities
The Foreign Ministry added that there is currently no information indicating that Ukrainian nationals are among those killed or injured.
On the personal instructions of Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, the Ukrainian embassies in India and China are using the available personal details of the missing citizens to establish contact with them and take other necessary measures.
The Foreign Ministry’s hotline has also received eight reports from relatives who have lost contact with people on the list. Ukraine’s honorary consul in Nepal is also involved in the efforts on the ground.
Flood in Nepal
- A flash flood began on the morning of 26 August in Rasuwa, a northern district of Nepal, and spread to other areas downstream, including the capital, Kathmandu. The resulting mudflow severely damaged homes, marketplaces, security posts and other infrastructure in the affected area.
- At least 90 people were killed, and nearly 400 went missing.
- Officials from Nepal’s Flood Forecasting Division suggest that the Bhotekoshi River may have burst its banks due to a landslide caused by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck Tibet that morning.
