KATHMANDU: A total of 607 foreign tourists from 34 countries have gone missing following the Bhotekoshi flood in Rasuwa.
Suraj Ghimire, information officer at the Department of Tourism, told RSS that the missing tourists had travelled to Gosainkunda for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage and the Janai Purnima festival through various tour companies.
Of the 607 missing foreign tourists, 269 are men, 329 are women and nine are of unknown gender. The largest number are from neighbouring India, with 189 Indian nationals reported missing.
According to the Department, 33 missing tourists are from Australia, two from Belarus, 30 from Canada, one from Finland, four from France, eight from Germany, one from Hungary, two from Ireland, one from Israel, one from Lithuania, 55 from Malaysia and two from the Netherlands.
Similarly, five are from New Zealand, two from Portugal, six from Russia, nine from Singapore, six from South Africa, two from Spain, 54 from Ukraine, 32 from the UK, 65 from the US, five from Japan, one from the Philippines, three from Kazakhstan, two from Belgium and one from Sweden.
The Department also reported 33 missing tourists from Latvia, one from Switzerland, two from Italy, 37 from China, one from Vietnam, two from Estonia and nine from South Korea.
In addition, 188 Nepali nationals have been reported missing in the floods, including 161 men and 27 women. According to Ghimire, the missing Nepalis include helpers accompanying foreign tourists as well as people who had travelled to Kailash Mansarovar and Gosainkunda. Meanwhile, rescue operations are continuing amid the disaster. The department said 310 foreign tourists have been rescued so far, including 258 men and 52 women.
Similarly, 13 people—three men, nine women and one person of another gender—who had lost contact with their families following the flood have since been located. The local administration and security agencies have intensified search, rescue and relief operations for those who remain missing.
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