The authorities of Nepal have updated this Thursday the number of deceased to 270 due to the floods recorded on Wednesday after the strong rise of the Bhotekoshi River in the mountainous district of Rasuwa, near the border with Tibet, in China, a disaster that leaves more than 30 injured and hundreds of people missing.
The Nepalese Police has indicated in a report disseminated on social media that so far 108 lifeless bodies have been located in the district of Chitwan, which has become the main focus of search and rescue operations. Likewise, it has detailed that 33 people have been admitted to medical centers and has raised the number of agents mobilized in the damaged areas to more than 3,300.
To this data, at least three dead and nearly 560 missing are added, among them 260 foreigners, in Chinese territory, according to reports from the authorities of the Asian country this same Thursday.
The National Authority for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction, based on information from national tourism agencies, has placed the total number of missing travelers in the areas hit by the floods at 579, of which 466 would be foreign citizens and 113 of Nepalese nationality.
Hours earlier, the Nepal Tourism Board had conveyed to local media that around 400 tourists, all of them pilgrims heading to Mount Kailash, in Tibet, remained missing due to the lack of communications while the floods continue to affect the region.
On the morning of this Thursday, the Nepalese Prime Minister, Balendra Shah, explained in a message on social media that his Government has reinforced "from the very beginning" the search, rescue, and humanitarian assistance operations in the affected areas. As part of these actions, helicopters from both the Nepal Army and private companies have been deployed, in addition to specialized ground teams.
"To help citizens in a risky situation, the Nepalese Army delivered humanitarian aid supplies last night, including basic food, tents, and medicines," Shah specified.
In parallel, the Nepalese authorities have urged tourists to remain calm, stay informed, and always follow the official safety guidelines issued by the competent authorities.
According to what the United States Geological Survey (USGS) pointed out this Thursday, the severe flooding and landslide would have originated from "the collapse of a glacier" located upstream. The agency added that the analyzed satellite images allow concluding that "there was no earthquake" in the area that could be related to the tragedy.