The authorities of Nepal have managed to contact three Spanish citizens who were among the foreigners affected by the flood that hit the country last Wednesday, according to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) reported this Sunday.
The confirmation comes amid a search and rescue operation, with hundreds of tourists still unable to communicate due to the damage caused by the floods, road closures, and the collapse of communications in several areas of the country.
"This Sunday 289 tourists have been rescued, five are currently in contact (3 Spanish, 1 American, and 1 Belgian) and 591 remain cut off," the NTB pointed out in its latest update, released at 18:00 local time, 12:15 GMT.
The three Spaniards are already in contact
This information helps to clear some of the uncertainty about the situation of the affected Spanish citizens. The information provided by the Tourism Board indicates that the authorities have been able to establish contact with the three Spaniards, although it does not currently offer more details about their condition, exact location, or whether they have already been evacuated from the affected areas.
Along with them, contact has also been established with one American citizen and another Belgian, while emergency teams continue trying to locate the rest of the foreigners who remain cut off.
The NTB bases its report on information gathered by the Tourism Police of Nepal and the National Authority for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRMA), the agencies that coordinate much of the actions related to foreign visitors.
289 tourists rescued
As of this Sunday, 289 tourists have been rescued after being trapped or isolated by the flood. The operations are taking place in a particularly complicated scenario, with numerous areas still affected by the destruction of roads and bridges and difficulties in restoring communications.
The number of people cut off remains high. According to the latest report, 591 tourists continue without contact, a figure that does not necessarily equate to missing persons in the strict sense. Some of them may be in isolated areas where telephone networks and land connections have not yet been restored.
For this reason, the authorities continue updating the lists as they manage to restore communications, evacuate areas, and verify the situation of travelers.
The search continues
The emergency caused by the flood keeps the security and rescue services of Nepal mobilized, who are working to locate both residents and tourists affected by the floods.
In the case of foreigners, the priority is to confirm their whereabouts, check their condition, and facilitate their evacuation when necessary. The figures continue to be provisional and may vary as the operation progresses.
The location of the three Spaniards represents, therefore, a positive piece of news within an ongoing emergency. More than 500 foreigners are still cut off from communication and the Nepalese authorities continue the search and rescue efforts in the areas most affected by the flood.