As many as 607 foreign tourists from 34 countries have been reported missing following the Bhotekoshi River flood in Rasuwa, according to the Department of Tourism. Tourism Department Information Officer Suraj Ghimire said the tourists had traveled to the region through different companies for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage and the Janai Purnima festival at Gosainkunda. Of the missing foreign tourists, 269 are men, 329 are women and nine have not been identified by gender.
Foreign and Nepali Travelers Among Those Missing
Indian nationals make up the largest group, with 189 reported missing. The list also includes 33 Australians, two Belarusians, 30 Canadians, one Finnish, four French, eight Germans, one Hungarian, two Irish, one Israeli, one Lithuanian, 55 Malaysians and two Dutch nationals. Similarly, five tourists from New Zealand, two from Portugal, six from Russia, nine from Singapore, six from South Africa, two from Spain, 54 from Ukraine, 32 from the United Kingdom, 65 from the United States, five from Japan, one from the Philippines, three from Kazakhstan, two from Belgium and one from Sweden have been reported missing.
The department has further recorded 33 missing tourists from Latvia, one from Switzerland, two from Italy, 37 from China, one from Vietnam, two from Estonia and nine from South Korea. The flood has also affected Nepali travelers in the area. According to the Department of Tourism, 188 Nepali nationals 161 men and 27 women are also missing.
Some had traveled to the region to assist foreign tourists, while others were visiting Kailash Mansarovar and Gosainkunda themselves. Meanwhile, rescue teams have successfully brought 310 foreign tourists to safety, including 258 men and 52 women. Authorities have also re-established contact with 13 people who had earlier been unreachable, comprising three men, nine women and one person recorded under another gender category.
Search and Rescue Operations Continue
Search and rescue efforts are continuing in the affected areas, with local administration officials and security agencies intensifying operations to locate those who remain unaccounted for. The government and concerned agencies are coordinating rescue and relief activities while working to provide assistance to travelers affected by the disaster.
The incident has affected travelers using important pilgrimage and tourism routes in the Rasuwa region, particularly those traveling toward Kailash Mansarovar and Gosainkunda. Authorities remain focused on locating missing tourists and ensuring the safety of both foreign visitors and Nepali travelers in the affected areas.
