Several hundred foreign tourists are missing in Nepal, which has been hit by dramatic floods and landslides from the Himalayan mountain range.
At least 160 people have been confirmed dead and the devastation is great in both Nepal and Tibet, according to local media.
Nepal's tourism authority stated on Wednesday afternoon Swedish time that around 400 people were missing, of which 341 were foreign tourists.
Since then, more people have been found dead.
A total of 157 bodies have been excavated in Nepal, the country's police said on Wednesday evening Swedish time.
In Tibet, three people have been found dead, while many more are still missing, according to Chinese authorities.
The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no information about injured Swedes.
”"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in contact with the embassy in New Delhi and the consulate in Nepal. At the time of writing, we have no information about injured or deceased Swedes," the press service writes in an email to TT.
Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah calls for unity.
”"I ask you to be patient. The government takes full responsibility for rescue work, care, supplies and shelter. In a disaster like this, we must all stand united," he said in a statement via social media.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has also ordered a full-scale search and rescue operation after reports of mudslides and deaths in the Gyirong border area in Tibet, China's state news agency reports. New China.
The newspaper The Kathmandu Post reports of flooded rivers, a destroyed hydroelectric plant, markets swept away and a 42-kilometer road washed away.
The EU has deployed the Union's Copernicus satellite service to assist the rescue effort and stands ready to provide further support, announces European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The flooding reportedly began in Tibet early Wednesday and quickly caused the Bhotekoshi River in northern Nepal to rise. Dozens of villages along the riverbanks were affected. In Nuwakot, northwest of Kathmandu, people and entire homes were swept away as the water level rose rapidly.
Some managed to get to safety, but elderly people and children in particular are reported missing. In Timure, near the border with China, nine police officers are missing.
There are a number of theories about what triggered the floods and landslides, according to media reports. One is that an ice avalanche blocked a river in the Himalayas, which eventually burst. Another is that a glacial lake overflowed. The event is also linked to the annual monsoon rains.
Source: DI-tt.se
