KATHMANDU – As many as 607 foreign tourists from 34 countries have been reported missing following the devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River area of Rasuwa.
According to Suraj Ghimire, information officer at the Department of Tourism (DoT), the tourists had travelled to Gosainkunda for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage and the Janai Purnima festival through various travel and tour companies.
Of the missing foreign tourists, 269 are men, 329 are women, and the gender of nine has not been identified. Indian nationals constitute the largest group, with 189 reported missing.
The DoT said the missing tourists include 33 Australians, 30 Canadians, 55 Malaysians, 54 Ukrainians, 65 Americans, 37 Chinese, 32 Britons and 33 Latvians, among others.
The department’s list also includes tourists from Belarus, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Japan, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Vietnam, Estonia and South Korea.
Meanwhile, 188 Nepali nationals have also been reported missing in connection with the disaster. They include 161 men and 27 women. According to the Department of Tourism, some were working as support staff for foreign tourists, while others had travelled to Kailash Mansarovar and Gosainkunda themselves.
Rescue operations remain underway in the affected areas. The Department of Tourism said 310 foreign tourists have so far been rescued, including 258 men and 52 women.
In addition, 13 people who had earlier been listed as missing have since contacted their families or authorities. They include three men, nine women and one person recorded under another gender category.
Local authorities and security agencies have intensified search, rescue and relief operations as efforts continue to locate those still unaccounted for in the flood-affected areas.