The Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently has no information regarding Ukrainian casualties in Nepal. Diplomats are investigating reports of two missing citizens. Additionally, a group of 46 Ukrainian tourists remains out of contact. In total, nearly 500 foreigners are considered missing, and the death toll is rising.
It is not yet known if any Ukrainians are among the deceased or injured. However, 53 Ukrainian citizens are currently unreachable. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in comments to journalists, as conveyed by UNN.
Ukraine’s embassies in India and China have promptly issued inquiries regarding the potential presence of Ukrainian nationals among those affected by landslides on the border between Tibet and Nepal, which were triggered by the Himalayan earthquake.
“Currently, there is no information about Ukrainian citizens being among the deceased or injured. As of now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ hotlines have received two inquiries: one concerning the possible disappearance of a Ukrainian citizen in the specified area, and another about losing contact with a Ukrainian citizen. Both inquiries are being promptly processed,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
Відео дня
Subsequently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that an inquiry was received regarding a group of 46 Ukrainian tourists who went missing in the disaster zone on the morning of the event. According to Nepal’s Tourist Police, a total of 53 Ukrainians are unaccounted for.
Diplomats reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Consular Service Department, and Ukraine’s embassies in India and the People’s Republic of China are monitoring the situation and developing relevant recommendations for Ukrainian citizens in the region, which will be published on the diplomatic missions’ online resources.
Повені на кордоні Непалу та Китаю — кількість жертв зростає
In Nepal, a sudden flood, caused by a 4.4 magnitude earthquake in the mountains, has resulted in dozens of deaths and hundreds of missing persons. Reports indicate 157 fatalities in Nepal and three in Tibet.
Nepalese authorities have reported 484 missing tourists, including 391 foreigners and 93 Nepalese citizens. Sunil Sharma, a representative of the tourism council, stated that 133 individuals were from India, who were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus. Additionally, 47 individuals from the USA, 34 from Australia, 33 from the United Kingdom, and 24 from Canada are missing.
Катастрофа в Непалі — повінь спричинила низка факторів
According to United Nations data, Nepal’s snow-capped mountains have lost nearly a third of their ice in just 30 years by 2023, attributed to global warming.
Повінь у Непалі
Glaciers in Nepal, situated between the two largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions – India and China – have been melting 65% faster over the last decade compared to the preceding one.
Geologist Dan Shugar, an associate professor at the University of Calgary, stated that satellite imagery shows a significant amount of snowmelt in the 24 hours prior to the disaster, and a part of a giant glacier detached and collapsed into the valley. The destruction of the glacier was likely accelerated by a relatively moderate earthquake.
Subsequently, a mass of water and ice surged downhill, carrying rocks, trees, and eventually debris from houses, bridges, mud, and vehicles.
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development reports that floods, landslides, avalanches, and droughts in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region have become more frequent and intense, with accelerating changes in water, land, and air resources posing a serious threat to the population.
“It has been confirmed that a significant portion of the glacial mass collapsed, initiating this event, likely along with a large quantity of rock and sediment,” said Vikram Gupta, a specialist in engineering geology and a lecturer at Sikkim University in India.
Recall that Focus previously reported on the disaster in Nepal. Videos show that a mass of earth and water swept away entire villages in a matter of minutes.
We also reported that at least 47 people died as a result of a magnitude 7.7 earthquake and dozens of aftershocks that occurred off the coast of eastern Indonesia in August.