Foreign Missing Persons in Nepal Floods Reach 341, Death Toll Expected to Rise

[Financial News] Hundreds of casualties have been reported in the massive flood that struck the border area between Nepal and China on the 26th, and attention is focusing on the 341 foreigners who are missing. Most of the missing foreigners are believed to be tourists and pilgrims.
According to AFP and other foreign media outlets, a massive flood hit parts of Bagmati Province in north-central Nepal near the border with China around 8:37 a.m. on the 26th. The disaster killed 157 people in Nepal and three in China. Nepal's tourism authorities said 403 tourists are currently missing, including 341 foreigners. China also said 265 people are missing.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nine Koreans are missing in the flood. They have been identified as employees of Korea South-East Power and Doosan Enerbility who were working on a hydropower plant project in the area. Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) reported that the Japanese embassy in the country has lost contact with five Japanese nationals who appear to have been on a sightseeing tour, saying, "We have requested search and rescue efforts from the Nepalese authorities and are continuing to gather information on their safety."
Indian nationals made up the largest group among the missing foreigners. Local authorities said 142 Indian citizens who had visited for tourism went missing after the landslide. The New York Times reported that among the missing Indians were more than 100 pilgrims who had traveled to Nepal for a Hindu pilgrimage.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also said it had been informed by Nepal's tourist police that 53 Ukrainian nationals are presumed missing. Of them, 46 were tourists traveling in the country. In addition, 17 Malaysians, 12 British nationals, four South Africans, three Americans, two Portuguese nationals, one Australian and one Dutch national are missing.
Italy's foreign ministry said two Italian nationals and one guide were stranded upstream because of the landslide and are receiving rescue support. Authorities believe 90 Italian citizens were staying in Nepal and Tibet, but it has not been confirmed whether any of them were affected. Nepalese authorities said travel agency tallies show that the nationalities of at least 111 missing people remain unidentified.
[email protected] Park Jong-won Reporter