Following devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi region of Nepal, authorities report 644 tourists are still out of contact, with search and rescue operations ongoing across popular trekking and pilgrimage routes.
A major search operation is underway in Nepal after flooding in the Bhotekoshi area left hundreds of tourists unaccounted for. According to the Nepal Tourism Board, 644 people remain out of contact in the aftermath of the disaster. The missing include 178 Indian nationals, 127 Nepali tourists, 53 Ukrainians, 51 Malaysians, 65 Americans, 35 Australians, and 33 British nationals, according to board spokesperson Sunil Sharma. The board said it is coordinating with relevant authorities to locate and rescue those missing.
The affected region encompasses several areas popular with international visitors, including trekking routes in Langtang and the religious site of Gosain Kunda. The floods also impacted access routes to Kailash Mansarovar, a significant Hindu pilgrimage destination located in Tibet. Deputy Superintendent of Nepal Tourist Police Bisworaj Adhikari indicated that authorities are still gathering information from tour operators about tourists who were in the area when the flooding occurred.
Some rescue efforts have already yielded results. The Nepali Army rescued 21 Indian nationals who were subsequently transported to Kathmandu, according to the Prime Minister's office. Additionally, around two dozen tourists were evacuated from the Rasuwa district to the neighbouring Nuwakot district on Thursday, though their nationalities could not be immediately confirmed by authorities. Search and rescue operations are expected to continue as efforts to locate the remaining missing persons intensify.
