Key facts
- At least 475 people have died due to floods in Nepal and Tibet.
- Hundreds of tourists are missing, with 33 identified as British nationals.
- Families of missing Britons are traveling to Nepal to aid in the search.
- The disaster was triggered by a glacial collapse and debris flow.
- The UK has pledged £5 million in aid to Nepal.
Families of British nationals have traveled to Nepal to search for their relatives who are among the hundreds missing following devastating flash floods. The death toll from the floods in Nepal and Tibet has risen to at least 475, with several hundred people unaccounted for, including 33 British nationals.
Among the missing are a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy. Nepalese authorities released a list of 33 British nationals who are among the missing tourists. The search for survivors is urgent amid warnings of further flooding across the region.
Details of those missing are slowly emerging. Essex nurse Rajendra Pudasaini stated his wife's aunt, uncle, granddaughter, and her husband, along with his godson, were "swept away" by the floods. Sarada Simkhada, a senior nurse, was reportedly on a spiritual journey to Mount Kailash. Tatajana Phillips has been unable to contact her sister, Julija Jakovicka, who was near the Nepal-Tibet border when the floods struck. Pramod Poudel is traveling to Nepal as his mother, wife, brother, and uncle are missing. University of Kent graduate Nabhi Das is also reported missing.
Several of the missing individuals were on pilgrimages to the sacred Hindu site of Mount Kailash. Tour operators such as The Trekkers' Society, Alpine Eco Trek, Himalayan Glacier US, Kailash Journeys, and Fishtail Tours have reported British nationals missing. Alpine Eco Trek stated they have lost contact with 12 Britons on a tour to Mount Kailash.
The flood, which occurred early Wednesday in Rasuwa, north of Kathmandu, was initially suggested to be caused by an earthquake. However, the US Geological Survey indicated that a magnitude 5.2 seismic event generated by a glacial collapse and debris flow occurred near the border at 08:37 local time (03:52 GMT). Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the UK has offered £5 million to assist the Nepalese government, describing the situation as "very distressing and devastating."