A devastating flood on the Nepal-China border has killed at least 95 people, with hundreds more missing. No Kazakh citizens are among the victims, reports infohub.kz.
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that as of now, no Kazakh citizens are listed among the dead or missing. Official representative Zhanbolat Ussenov stated: "As of now, no citizens of Kazakhstan are listed among the victims or missing as a result of the floods on the Nepal-China border." The ministry added that the situation remains under control.
The tragedy occurred on August 26 after a massive mudslide and rockslide into a river on the border of the two countries. Powerful water flows destroyed residential buildings, roads, bridges, and energy infrastructure. According to Reuters, 95 bodies have been recovered in Nepal. Hundreds are missing, including more than 300 foreign tourists.
According to the Associated Press, among the missing travelers are 47 U.S. citizens, 34 Australians, 33 Britons, and 24 Canadians. A Nepal Tourism Board official said that citizens of at least 26 countries were in the affected area. Additionally, 133 Indian pilgrims heading to the sacred Mount Kailash are missing.
The cause of the disaster is still being determined. Preliminary reports suggest that the snow and rock slide may have been triggered by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake recorded shortly before the flood. Rescue operations are ongoing, but authorities warn of a new flood risk due to debris accumulation upstream.
The disaster also affected the Chinese side of the border: in Tibet, the border town of Gyirong suffered damage to roads, communication lines, and power supply.