Floods and landslides hit Nepal and Tibet: First images from the disaster zone!
Floods and landslides have caused massive destruction in Nepal and the Tibet region of China. It has been reported that more than 400 tourists are among the missing.
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It has been reported that at least 18 people have lost their lives and hundreds are missing following floods and landslides in Nepal and the Tibet region of China. It was announced that more than 400 tourists, 291 of whom are foreigners, are among the missing.
Images from the region show floodwaters sweeping away a bridge, multi-story buildings collapsing, and some settlements covered in mud. It is stated that some villages have been reduced to rubble following the floods and landslides, and communication lines have been completely severed.
Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Kanal said that according to initial assessments, the disaster may have been triggered by an avalanche caused by an earthquake in the region. Kanal stated that an earthquake was detected at 08:37 local time.
Minister Kanal announced that 26 police officers, nine armed police personnel, and 44 military personnel are also missing. It was stated that search and rescue operations are being carried out in coordination with China.
NO NEWS FROM TOURISTS
It was reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all resources to be mobilized to find the missing and that search and rescue teams have been dispatched to the region. However, the loss of communication with the area makes it difficult to reach the missing.
Yi Liang, a Chinese businessperson who owns a logistics company in Kathmandu, said he had seven trucks in the flood-affected areas but has not been able to get news from the vehicles because communication lines are down. Tibetan Guan Daoshuan also stated that he has not been able to reach his wife since the morning of August 26.
Guan noted that Nepalese authorities wanted to send a helicopter to inspect the region from the air, but this could not be done due to strong winds.
According to the Nepal Tourism Office, the missing tourists include 142 Indians, 17 Malaysians, 12 Britons, four South Africans, three Americans, one Dutch citizen, and one Australian. It was announced that there are 111 more missing tourists whose identities have not yet been determined. It is not yet known whether there are any Turkish tourists in the region.