Nepalese authorities said Thursday that at least 270 bodies had been recovered after devastating flash floods struck Himalayan areas along the Nepal-China border.
Nearly 1,500 people are reportedly missing across Nepal and Tibet, including more than 700 foreign nationals.
Rescue workers are conducting search operations for both survivors and victims as the scale of the disaster continues to emerge.
India’s foreign ministry said 288 Indian citizens were missing in Nepal, while another 200 Indians remained stranded in China. The missing Indians in Nepal include tourists as well as people employed in the country.
Officials expect the death toll to increase as rescue teams reach communities and valleys isolated by Wednesday’s floods. The disaster occurred after a massive collapse of mud and rock into a Himalayan river sent torrents of debris downstream.
Nepalese rescuers have deployed helicopters to locate survivors and deliver essential supplies to thousands of people stranded along a major route connecting Kathmandu with Lhasa. The area is frequented by trekkers and religious pilgrims.
Police and tourism officials said 826 people were officially listed as missing in Nepal, including almost 500 foreign nationals. Those unaccounted for came from more than 20 countries, with 177 Indians, 63 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 Britons and 25 Canadians among them.
Malaysia’s foreign ministry said it had been unable to contact 55 of its citizens, although no Malaysian deaths had been confirmed.
Across the border in Tibet’s Gyirong county, 558 people were reported missing, including 260 foreign nationals, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Chinese authorities put the confirmed death toll there at three.
Nepal Flash Floods: 95 Killed, 341 Foreign Nationals Missing
