One of three Kazakh women believed missing after a natural disaster in Nepal and Tibet has been found in Kazakhstan. It turned out the woman had been at home all along. The whereabouts of the other two compatriots remain unknown, infohub.kz reports.
Three female tourists had previously been listed as missing: two in Nepal and one in China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Contact was established with one of the women, who was believed to be in Nepal.
"The whereabouts of our two other compatriots have not yet been established. Their relatives have completed the necessary procedures for possible identification, including providing biological material for DNA analysis in accordance with the procedure set by the competent authorities of Nepal and China," said Zhanbolat Usenov, official spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
According to the Nepalese side, the search-and-rescue operation in the country officially ended on October 5. Recovery work is now under way in the affected areas. Recovered remains and personal belongings are being handed over for subsequent identification.
In Tibet, the search continues in the worst-hit county of Gyirong. The Chinese side is also carrying out identification of remains and genetic testing.
Kazakh diplomats are in contact with the families of the missing and are providing them with assistance. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is keeping the situation under control.
Floods struck the border areas of Nepal and Tibet on August 26. According to the Associated Press, at least 1,455 people died in Nepal, with another 5,285 listed as missing. On the Chinese side, 43 deaths have been confirmed, while the whereabouts of 519 people remain unknown.