As of 10:30 on 29 August, the number of Ukrainians who have lost contact in the flood zone on the Nepal–Tibet border has risen from 56 to 64. There is currently no information indicating that Ukrainian citizens are among the injured or the dead. This was reported by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.
It noted that the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Service Department is maintaining constant contact with relatives, while Ukraine’s embassies in India and China, and Ukraine’s honorary consul in Nepal, are in round-the-clock contact with local authorities and search services, tour operators and international partners. A group of consular officials from Ukraine’s embassy in India is in Nepal.
Search-and-rescue operations are carried out daily from early morning. Fog is hampering the use of aircraft, so they are deployed only in the first half of the day. Yesterday, rescue work was temporarily suspended due to the high risk of a breach at a landslide-dammed lake in Tibet; however, after a gradual, controlled outflow of water was recorded, the search resumed on water, on land and from the air. From the Chinese side, professional fire and rescue teams have reached the hardest-hit central part of the “Zhirong” border checkpoint. In total, more than 2,000 people and over 300 pieces of equipment have been deployed, with the situation coordinated by China’s leadership.
Road access to the epicentre remains blocked due to extensive destruction of the road surface. The situation remains difficult because of the scale of the damage and the risk of further landslides.
“At the initiative of Ukraine’s embassy in India, requests have been sent via Interpol through Nepal’s competent authorities to the company operating geolocation-enabled devices that some Ukrainian citizens had with them. Data have been obtained on the last coordinates recorded before the disaster struck. The company continues attempts to establish the devices’ current location to assist the search,” the Foreign Ministry said.
- As of the morning of 29 August, the deaths of 633 people in Nepal and Tibet have been confirmed, with more than 3,000 others still missing. Nepal reported more than 620 victims on its side. China confirmed the deaths of seven people.
- Flooding in the region has continued since 26 August. Rescue efforts are being hampered.