Foreign visitors missing after Nepal-China floods

A glacier collapse in Tibet caused catastrophic flash flooding in a border area of China and Nepal.

Authorities in both countries have reported at least 273 deaths and almost 1500 people missing as of Thursday.

Many were foreigners in the area for trekking or a pilgrimage to a sacred Hindu site.

The number of missing may vary across agencies because of differences in how they collected data, when it was reported and how it was verified, as well as gaps in coordination between those assembling data and those conducting rescue efforts in the affected area.

Police reported at least 270 dead and 826 missing. Local reports cited the National Emergency Operation Center as saying Thursday the missing included 113 Nepali tourists, 85 security personnel from the army and police as well as 161 residents from the Rasuwa district and one from the Nuwakot district.

The National Tourism Board later Thursday said 517 foreigners were missing.

State media reported at least three people died and 558 were missing in Gyirong County, Tibet. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that 260 of the 558 missing people were foreigners. In addition, nearly 100 Chinese citizens were missing on the Nepal side, China's foreign ministry said.

Nepal's tourism board said 179 of those missing were from India. Officials said most were on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said the 53 Ukrainians considered missing include 46 tourists with whom Nepalese authorities have lost contact.

South Korean government officials said nine citizens working on building a hydropower plant in Nepal were missing.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed worry about five Japanese nationals whom local media reported were missing.

Five people from New Zealand were missing, said Nepal's tourism board.

The board said two people each from Italy, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Ireland and Netherlands were missing. It said 10 others - one each from Belarus, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, Philippines, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Serbia and Sweden - were also missing.