Following a devastating glacier collapse and flash flood in northern Nepal that left at least 95 people dead and hundreds missing, foreign ministries and diplomatic missions are scrambling to locate missing travelers, including 33 Latvian citizens whose whereabouts remain unconfirmed as communication lines stay down.
A catastrophic natural disaster struck northern parts of Nepal following a snow and rock avalanche on the Nepal-China border, approximately 20 kilometers northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border crossing. The initial glacier collapse triggered a powerful flow of ice, followed by a surge of water and mud from a glacial lake that swept through the Bhotekoshi River valley.
Surveillance camera footage circulating on social media captured a massive torrent of water obliterating buildings, homes, and bridges while overtaking people fleeing the area. Prime Minister Balendra Shah convened an emergency meeting of the National Disaster Management Council to assess the unfolding crisis and coordinate rescue efforts, deploying 15 helicopters to the region.
Search Efforts for Missing Foreign Tourists Hampered by Communication Blackouts
Rescue operations face severe hurdles in the disaster zone, where telephone communication and the internet remain unavailable. Among those unaccounted for are 33 citizens of Latvia, whose names have been submitted by the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal. The Latvian agency also transmitted the information to the European External Action Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, leveraging Finland’s diplomatic presence in Nepal, while the Latvian embassy in China forwarded documentation to relevant regional authorities.
Initial counts from relatives, friends, and independent reporting indicated that 39 travelers from Latvia were in Nepal, with 34 belonging to two distinct tourist groups. According to the Latvian Foreign Ministry, search efforts are complicated because none of the participants in those organized groups registered in the official Consular Register. However, officials confirmed that one independent Latvian traveler who did register was contacted and found safe, while another citizen from a separate tourist group was located safely in Tibet.
The wider international toll continues to mount. At least 384 tourists, including 291 foreign nationals, are missing. Many of these travelers were pilgrims journeying to China’s Mount Kailash, a site sacred in several Eastern religions, according to Bashu Kumar Adhikari, managing director of a tourism company. Other trekking operators reported that citizens from the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Malaysia may also be in the impact zone.
In addition, eight South Korean nationals working on the construction of a hydroelectric power plant went missing, while ten more South Korean workers remain trapped in the affected area awaiting evacuation, as reported by the Yonhap news agency citing South Korea’s Foreign Ministry. The Russian embassy in Kathmandu informed that the diplomatic mission has no information regarding the presence of Russian citizens in the disaster areas.
Infrastructure Devastation and Billions in Economic Damage
The physical destruction spans multiple districts, inflicting heavy losses on transportation networks and energy infrastructure. Infrastructure Minister Sunil Lamsal stated that the calamity caused at least 200 billion Nepalese rupees ($1.3 billion) in infrastructure damage. Floodwaters washed away at least 22 concrete bridges and five metal Bailey bridges, isolating communities across the Rusawa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and Chitwan districts.
The energy sector sustained significant blows as well. The country’s Energy Ministry reported that 14 hydropower facilities suffered damage. In the Rusawa area, eight projects were affected—five operating and three under construction—while six projects in the Nuwakot area sustained damage, comprising four operating facilities and two under construction.
Local Identification Hurdles and International Aid Offers
Families attempting to trace missing relatives face administrative and linguistic barriers. Nepalese police launched a public internet portal to assist families in identifying individuals through posted lists of missing and found persons. Much of the portal’s information appears in the local language and script, however, and some recovery photographs feature low quality and severe injuries that complicate visual identification.
Authorities advised individuals stranded or out of contact in the region to light fires so rescuers can spot the smoke amid ongoing relief flights. International support has also begun to mobilize, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offering humanitarian aid to flood-stricken Nepal.
While local police confirmed at least 95 deaths and 93 injuries, preliminary estimates suggest that roughly 1,000 people may have been swept away by the floodwaters. That broader figure awaits official confirmation as search-and-rescue teams push deeper into cut-off valleys to verify casualties and trace thousands of still-unaccounted individuals.
