Nepal: 644 tourists from 33 countries missing, death toll rises to 332

In Nepal, the death toll from Wednesday’s devastating flood has risen to 332, with bodies recovered from eight districts as of 3:50pm on Thursday, police said. Nepali Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle confirmed the revised death toll to The Kathmandu Post. The latest figures show 121 bodies recovered in Chitwan, 74 in Nawalparasi East, 29 each in Dhading and Gorkha, 28 in Nuwakot, 19 in Tanahun, 17 in Rasuwa and 15 in Nawalparasi West. Police and other security agencies are continuing search and rescue operations in the floodaffected districts, while evacuating families from areas at risk of further flooding. They are also working with local authorities and residents to search for missing people and clear roads blocked by debris and flood damage. The floods swept through Rasuwa and other districts before surging downstream along the Trishuli and Narayani river systems, damaging settlements, roads, bridges and other infrastructure. 
As per reports,644 tourists have gone missing in areas affected by floods in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers, influding foreign nationals from India, US, UK, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Ukraine. According to the Nepal Tourism Board, the missing include 127 Nepali nationals and 517 foreign tourists.According to the board's data as of noon Thursday, tourists from 33 countries have been reported missing. Excluding Nepali nationals, the highest number are from India, with 178 missing, followed by 65 from the United States, 53 from Ukraine, 51 from Malaysia, 35 from Australia, 33 from the United Kingdom and 25 from Canada.Similarly, eight tourists each from Germany and Russia, six each from Latvia and South Africa, five each from Japan and New Zealand, four from France, and three each from Belgium and Spain have been reported missing. Two tourists each from Italy and Ireland, and one each from Belarus, Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden and Switzerland are also missing. The board said nine tourists from Singapore have been reported missing.

Meanwhile,China has warned that the risk from the Bhotekoshi flood is not over, saying a new landslide-dammed lake has formed in Nepal and could burst at any time, triggering another flash flood downstream. According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, citing the Ministry of Water Resources, a large lake has formed after a landslide blocked the river near the confluence of the Chojian and Purpuchyangbu rivers in Nepal.As of Thursday morning, around 2 million cubic metres of water had accumulated in the lake and was beginning to overflow. Another 3 million cubic metres is expected to enter the lake over the next three days, raising the risk of a sudden breach and another major flood. Chinese authorities are monitoring the lake using satellite and radar technology and conducting scientific simulations to assess the potential speed and impact of another flood.