Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand announced on Friday that 32 Canadian citizens and permanent residents are among the nearly 2,000 individuals missing following a devastating flash flood along the Himalayan border between Nepal and Tibet.
During a media briefing, Anand disclosed that 579 bodies have been recovered in the affected area, with 1,924 individuals still unaccounted for, including 517 foreign nationals.
Anand confirmed that no Canadians have been reported dead in the tragedy, emphasizing the severe humanitarian crisis Nepal is facing due to the catastrophic damage.
Canada pledged $5 million to support emergency relief efforts in Nepal as rescue operations continued in the mud and debris-laden regions affected by the flood.
Authorities in Nepal and China issued warnings about potential further flooding from a newly formed lake upstream following the disaster. They urged residents in at-risk areas to relocate to safer locations.
The Nepal National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported that 3,742 people have been rescued, while efforts are ongoing to locate missing individuals, including tourists from various countries.
A team was dispatched to the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project near the Nepal-China border to assist individuals reportedly trapped inside a tunnel, stated Nepalese army spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Raja Ram Basnet.
Rescue operations have been complicated by the challenging terrain, limiting access to heavily impacted communities where entire villages and key infrastructure have been swept away, according to Santosh Pandey, Oxfam’s humanitarian lead in Nepal.
Desperate families have gathered at hospitals in search of missing loved ones, examining photos of recovered bodies, including young children, in hopes of identifying them.
Nirmala Sapkota Koholi, searching for her brother, shared her harrowing experience as she scoured hospitals for any sign of him, recalling their last contact before he went missing.
Red Cross officials expressed concerns about potential secondary flooding and logistical challenges in delivering aid as rescue operations faced interruptions due to further flooding.
Survivors recounted their experiences during the disaster, with customs officer Karbir Gaire describing the chaos and destruction that unfolded in Timure, a village near the Nepal-Tibet border.
Gaire highlighted the urgency of the situation, emphasizing the tsunami-like impact of the flood that obliterated the vibrant community where he and many others resided.
The catastrophic event, triggered by a glacier collapse, has left many communities in turmoil, with ongoing efforts to locate missing individuals and provide support to those affected.
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