24 Canadians among hundreds of foreigners missing in Nepal, Tibet flash floods

· Toronto Sun

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Twenty-four Canadians are among the hundreds of international tourists reported missing in the deadly flash floods that hit the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday, a Nepalese tourism board official told The Associated Press.

The catastrophic flooding happened at around 8:30 a.m. local time in the Bhote Koshi River in the Himalayan border region between Nepal and China’s Tibet.

Nepal Tourism Board’s officiating director Sunil Sharma told The Associated Press that 403 people were reported missing, including 341 foreign nationals, with 24 from Canada.

Also among the missing were 133 from India, 62 from Nepal, 47 from the U.S., 34 from Australia, and 33 from Britain.

Sharma said the flooding happened as hundreds of Indian tourists were on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred Hindu site, while Nepali citizens were also making their way to the Gosaikunda Lake area in the Rasuwa district to celebrate the festival of Janai Purnima on Friday.

Carney, Anand respond to floods

In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Mark Carney called the floods in Nepal “absolutely devastating,” adding, “Canadians are thinking of all those in distress right now, those who have lost a loved one, and all those who are still waiting for answers.”

Carney urged Canadians in the region to register with the Registration of Canadians Abroad system as soon as possible.

“As rescue efforts continue, Canada stands ready to provide support,” he added.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand also echoed the prime minister’s sentiments, adding that “Global Affairs consular officials are in contact with local authorities and ready to assist Canadians in the region.”

At least 100 people have been killed in the floods, with Reuters reporting that officials suspect an earthquake struck the border region, triggering the collapse of the lower part of a glacier on the Lhende Khola river along the Nepal-Tibet border, which is a tributary of the Bhote Koshi River, causing the floods.

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