Kathmandu, September 15
A total of 607 foreign tourists from 34 countries remain unaccounted for following the Bhotekoshi flash flood that struck Nepal on August 26.
Suraj Ghimire, information officer at the Department of Tourism, told that the 607 foreign tourists, who were travelling to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet, Gosaikunda and Mustang on the occasion of the Janai Purnima festival, have been out of contact since the disaster.
Of those missing, 269 are men, 329 are women, and nine are unidentified. Most of the missing pilgrims are from neighbouring India, with 189 Indian nationals still unaccounted for, according to the department.
The department said 65 nationals from the United States, 55 from Malaysia, 54 from Ukraine, 37 from China, 33 each from Australia and Latvia, 32 from the UK, 30 from Canada, nine each from South Korea and Singapore, eight from Germany, six each from Russia and South Africa, five each from New Zealand and Japan, four from France and three from Kazakhstan are also missing.
Two nationals each from Belarus, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Estonia, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands are unaccounted for, while one each from Finland, the Philippines, Vietnam, Hungary, Israel, Switzerland, Sweden and Lithuania remain missing.
The number of Nepali tourists who have been unreachable since the disaster stands at 188. The Nepali tourists had accompanied the foreign visitors as guides and helpers.
The government has continued search and rescue operations. A total of 310 foreign nationals have so far been rescued, including 258 men and 52 women.
Relief distribution has also been intensified by local governments and security agencies.
—RSS
