Lorraine Williamson
Four Spanish nationals remain missing after catastrophic flooding devastated northern Nepal and neighbouring Tibet, leaving almost 400 people dead and around 1,400 unaccounted for across the disaster zone. Hundreds of foreign travellers are among those authorities have been unable to contact, including British and American citizens. Rescue teams are struggling to reach some of the worst-hit areas after roads and bridges were destroyed.
Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed on Thursday that four Spaniards could not be located. He said there were currently no confirmed Spanish fatalities and appealed to Spanish nationals who are in or have recently visited the affected region, as well as their relatives and friends, to contact the emergency consular services.
Spain’s honorary consulate in Nepal, the Spanish Embassy in New Delhi and the Consulate General in Beijing have been mobilised to assist nationals caught up in the disaster. Spanish authorities are continuing efforts to establish the whereabouts of the four missing people.
The scale of the disaster has continued to grow throughout Thursday. According to the latest figures reported by EFE, Nepalese police have recovered 389 bodies while 910 people in the country remain missing or out of contact, including 517 foreign nationals.
On the Chinese side of the border, authorities have reported three deaths and 558 people who have not been contacted in Tibet. That takes the combined provisional toll to 392 dead and around 1,400 people unaccounted for across the two countries.
Brits and Americans among missing tourists
The disaster has an increasingly international dimension. Nepal’s tourism authorities have been attempting to trace hundreds of travellers from more than 30 countries who were believed to be in the affected region.
Reuters reported on Thursday that as many as 540 foreign nationals were among 667 tourists listed as missing in Nepal. The figures provided by Nepal’s tourism authorities included at least 65 US citizens and 33 British citizens, as well as travellers from countries including India, China, Malaysia, Ukraine, Australia, Canada, Germany and New Zealand.
The US figure remains subject to verification. President Donald Trump said later on Thursday that American authorities were still compiling a definitive list and estimated that around 50 to 60 US citizens had been in the affected area.
The US Embassy in Kathmandu is working with local authorities to locate American citizens, while Washington has announced emergency assistance for Nepal. With communications severely disrupted, the number officially listed as missing may change as contact is restored with survivors.
Rescue teams struggle to reach devastated communities
The United Nations has warned of enormous difficulties reaching some of the areas worst affected by the floods. One municipality remains inaccessible by road, forcing authorities to deliver assistance by helicopter.
More than 35 bridges have been destroyed and around 40 kilometres of roads damaged, severely complicating the search for survivors. Nepal has deployed more than 13,000 security personnel across three districts as rescue operations continue.
Around 10,000 families are believed to need immediate assistance, while damage to the electricity network, health facilities and other infrastructure is adding to the humanitarian emergency.
Authorities have also warned of the possibility of further flooding along the Bhote Koshi river. Residents, tourists and humanitarian workers have been advised to stay away from riverbanks and move to safer areas.
The precise circumstances that triggered the disaster are still being investigated. An enormous mass of water, mud and debris swept through communities close to the Nepal-Tibet border, destroying buildings and infrastructure and carrying victims considerable distances downstream.
Search continues for four Spaniards
For Spanish authorities, the immediate priority remains locating the four nationals who have not yet been contacted. Albares said Spain’s diplomatic and consular network in the region was fully mobilised to provide assistance.
Spain’s Foreign Ministry advises nationals in Nepal to follow instructions from local authorities and maintain contact with relatives where communications allow. Its travel guidance also warns that monsoon rains can cause serious flooding and landslides and leave travellers cut off for days.
Search and rescue operations are continuing into Friday as authorities attempt to reach isolated communities and establish the whereabouts of hundreds of residents and foreign visitors. With many areas still difficult to access, the casualty and missing-person figures remain provisional and are expected to change.