Nepal-Tibet floods: How many tourists are missing? India tops list | Fact box

India’s latest update, issued on Friday, put the number of Indian nationals still missing or uncontactable at around 320. The Ministry of External Affairs said around 400 Indian nationals stranded on the Chinese side of the border were safe and in contact with their families, while Indians had also been crossing into Nepal from Tibet.

The figures differ from earlier Nepalese and Indian government tallies because the lists are being updated separately and include people at different stages of verification, rescue and repatriation. Nepal’s Foreign Ministry had, in its latest country-wise list issued Thursday, recorded 167 Indians still missing in Nepal, while India had separately said around 320 Indian nationals remained uncontactable. The two figures should not be directly compared because they cover different groups and jurisdictions.

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The broader missing-person figure includes local residents, security personnel, foreign tourists, pilgrims, workers and others caught in the disaster zone. More than 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal so far.

Around 320 Indians still missing

Around 320 Indian nationals remain unaccounted for following the floods, according to the latest update from India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

The Indian government has been coordinating with Nepalese and Chinese authorities, state governments, tour operators and other agencies to trace missing nationals and facilitate evacuations.

At least 21 Indian nationals rescued from flood-hit Nepal were received by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar after they returned to Delhi. India has also been assisting Indians stranded on the Chinese side of the border, with hundreds reported safe and in contact with their families.

Around 100 people of Indian origin holding other nationalities were also reported missing in the Indian government’s Friday update.

More than 700 foreigners among those missing

Nepal’s latest missing-person figures have risen sharply as authorities add local residents and reconcile lists from affected districts.

Foreign nationals make up a significant portion of those still unaccounted for. The missing include tourists, pilgrims and foreign workers who were in the region when the floods struck.

Many were travelling towards Mount Kailash, a major pilgrimage destination in Tibet. Around 90 Americans are among those reported missing, while Australians and nationals of several other countries are also believed to be unaccounted for.

The rapidly changing figures underline the difficulty of establishing a single authoritative list while communications remain disrupted and many affected areas are accessible only by helicopter, raft or on foot.

China says seven dead, 554 missing in Tibet

China said Saturday that seven people had died and 554 remained missing after flash floods hit Gyirong County in Tibet, near the Nepal border.

Among those missing, 260 have been identified as foreign nationals, although Chinese authorities have not released their nationalities. More than 1,000 people, including tourists and local residents, have been evacuated from the affected area.

A large number of Indian pilgrims were in Tibet for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra when the flooding struck. Some were reportedly at the immigration facility at the Nepal-China border when it was engulfed by floodwaters.

Chinese rescue teams have reached the badly damaged Gyirong border crossing using a combination of foot patrols, rafts and drones. The area has suffered extensive damage to roads, bridges, buildings and other infrastructure.

The 554 missing in Tibet should not simply be added to Nepal’s missing-person figures as though they form a single verified list. The two countries are reporting separately, and authorities are still working to determine the whereabouts of foreign nationals.

Death toll rises as rescue operations face bad weather

Nepal’s death toll has climbed to 626, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. The previous official figure was 579, while Nepal Police had separately reported a lower tally of 553 in an earlier update.

The latest figure includes deaths recorded across eight districts, with the largest numbers reported in Chitwan and Nawalparasi East.

Search-and-rescue teams have recovered thousands of people, but operations have been slowed by poor weather. Helicopter flights were temporarily suspended on Saturday because of conditions, while rescuers continued operations on the ground.

At the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa, rescuers believe more than 100 people may still be trapped inside a tunnel filled with thick mud. Nepal Army personnel have been using baskets and ropes to reach people, but the tunnel is covered by around 4 to 5 feet of mud and access for helicopters is limited.

Rescuers have also remained on alert for further flooding from a newly formed lake in the Himalayas. The lake was created after a glacier collapse triggered the initial floods and had begun overflowing, raising fears of another surge downstream. However, Chinese monitoring data showed the water level had fallen by about 10 metres from its peak on Thursday morning.

Nepal has asked for specialised international assistance for difficult tunnel rescues, transport and communications restoration, DNA testing and the storage and identification of bodies. The country’s finance minister has estimated that reconstruction could cost between $4 billion and $5 billion.

The disaster has affected more than 93,000 people in Nepal, while more than 3,700 have been rescued. Aid and reconstruction efforts are expected to continue well beyond the immediate search operation.