Nepal Flood Deaths Hit 389; 667 Foreigners Missing

Nepal Flood Deaths Hit 389; 667 Foreigners Missing

The News

The death toll from Nepal's flash floods has climbed past 389, with more than 1,300 people still missing — including more than 667 foreigners from 33 countries, according to the Daily Mail.

Australia says at least 34 of its citizens who were on pilgrimages and tours in Nepal are unaccounted for, Reuters reported. The Daily Mail put the Australian figure at 39 by Thursday evening.

Britain has 33 citizens missing, The Independent reported.

The flooding was triggered by a landslide and glacier collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday morning, local time.

Timeline

Wednesday morning, local time

A landslide and glacier collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border unleash the floodwaters. Footage from the scene shows fast-moving water tearing through streets and destroying homes and bridges.

Aug. 26

First reports that at least 34 Australians and hundreds of other tourists are missing in the floodwaters.

Aug. 27

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong says information on the 34 missing Australians is "very limited."

Aug. 27, midday

Three more missing Australians are identified as the humanitarian response expands. A second Australian family in a large tour group is named — a family of four who had practiced hiking around Sydney before the Himalayan trek.

Aug. 27, evening

The reported death toll reaches 389, with more than 1,300 missing.

Reactions

Wong said Australia's information on its missing citizens was "very limited," per Reuters.

In Britain, families described agonizing waits for news after what has been called a "tsunami from the sky." Among the missing Britons is Sarada Simkhada, a senior nurse at Darent Valley Hospital, who left for Nepal last Saturday to take part in a holy trip, the Daily Mail reported.

Pramod Poudel, a Sussex man, told The Independent his wife, parents, brother and uncle are all missing and that he believes "90 per cent" of his family's village was swept away.

Australia's Nepali diaspora has been scrambling to reach relatives, The Guardian reported — some have heard from family members who fled to safety, while others are still waiting.

What's Next

Search and recovery work continues along the Nepal-Tibet border, and both the death toll and the missing count are expected to move as foreign governments account for their nationals. Australia and Britain are working to confirm the status of their citizens.

More

The 667 foreigners listed as missing come from 33 countries, a sign of how heavily the affected area draws trekkers and religious pilgrims at this time of year.

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