KATHMANDU, Sept 15: A total of 607 foreign tourists from 34 countries have been reported missing following the devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River in 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 companies.
Among the missing foreign tourists, 269 are men, 329 are women and the gender of nine has not been identified. Indian nationals account for the largest number of missing foreign tourists.
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According to the DoT, 189 Indian nationals are missing. The other missing tourists include 33 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 New Zealanders, two Portuguese, six Russians, nine Singaporeans, six South Africans, two Spaniards, 54 Ukrainians, 32 Britons, 65 Americans, five Japanese, one Filipino, three Kazakhstani, two Belgians and one Swedish national have been reported missing.
The list also includes 33 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 are missing following the flood. Of them, 161 are men and 27 are women. The Department of Tourism said the missing Nepali nationals include those who had travelled as support staff for foreign tourists as well as Nepalis visiting Kailash Mansarovar and Gosainkunda.
Meanwhile, rescue operations have continued amid the disaster. The department said 310 foreign tourists have so far been successfully rescued, including 258 men and 52 women.
Thirteen people previously reported missing have also since made contact with their families or authorities. They include three men, nine women and one person whose gender is listed as other.
Local authorities and security agencies have intensified search and rescue operations for those still missing, along with relief efforts in the affected areas.
