587 foreign tourists from 34 countries missing after Bhotekoshi flood

KATHMANDU: A total of 587 foreign tourists from 34 countries remain missing following the floods in Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa on August 26, according to the Department of Tourism.

Suraj Ghimire, information officer at the department, said the missing tourists include those travelling to Kailash Mansarovar and those attending the Janai Purnima religious fair through various travel companies.

Among the missing foreign nationals, 256 are men, 329 are women and the gender of two individuals has not been identified. Indian nationals account for the largest number of missing tourists, with 184 reported unaccounted for.

According to the department, the missing also include 67 people from the United States, 55 from Malaysia, 54 from Ukraine, 33 each from Australia and Latvia, 32 from the United Kingdom, 30 from Canada, 26 from China, nine from Singapore, eight each from Germany and Russia, six from South Africa, five each from New Zealand and Japan, four from France, three from Kazakhstan, two each from Belarus, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Poland and one each from Finland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, the Philippines, Sweden, Switzerland, Vietnam and Estonia.

The department said 188 Nepali nationals have also gone missing in the floods. Of them, 161 are men and 27 are women.

Ghimire said the missing Nepalis include support staff accompanying foreign tourists as well as pilgrims travelling to Kailash Mansarovar and Gosainkunda.

Meanwhile, rescue operations are continuing in the affected areas. The Department of Tourism reported that 307 foreign tourists have so far been rescued, including 254 men and 53 women.

The department also said contact has been re-established with seven people who had lost contact after the disaster, including two men, four women and one other individual.

Local authorities and security agencies have intensified search and rescue efforts as well as relief operations for those affected by the floods.