KATHMANDU: A total of 315 foreign tourists from various countries who went missing after a flash flood in Bhote Koshi River have been successfully rescued.
Hikmat Singh Ayer, Officiating Chief Executive Officer of the Nepal Tourism Board, informed that the rescued individuals were part of groups traveling for the Gosaikunda and Kailash Manasarovar pilgrimages.
Indian nationals accounted for the highest number of rescued tourists at 187, followed by 108 from China, four each from Malta and Germany, two each from Russia, Turkey, the United States, and Italy, and one each from Switzerland, Bulgaria, Oman, and Portugal.
Despite these successful rescue efforts, 583 tourists from various nationalities remain out of contact.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Nepal Tourism Board, Tourist Police, and other tourism sector stakeholders have intensified search and rescue operations in the affected region.
Reassuring the public, the Board stated that all necessary steps are being taken to bring injured and stranded individuals to safety, emphasizing that “tourist safety is our top priority” while appealing for patience and caution.
For assistance or information, the Board has provided a toll-free number (1234), a hotline (1144), and the Tourist Police contact line (+977 9851289455).
