HK$50m disaster relief earmarked for Himalayan victims

The Hong Kong government has earmarked HK$50 million from the Disaster Relief Fund to support those affected by a mudslide at Gyirong Port in the Xizang Autonomous Region, according to Chief Executive John Lee. In a social media post, Lee expressed his condolences for the casualties and missing persons in the disaster and said the fund's advisory committee would handle the funding application promptly.

The mudslide, which occurred on August 26, was part of a larger disaster in the Himalayan region that has resulted in significant loss of life and displacement. According to reports from Arabian Post and Gulf News, at least 633 people have been killed and nearly 3,000 are missing. The disaster affected areas in Nepal and Tibet, with Nepal recording 626 deaths and 2,426 people missing, while authorities in Tibet reported seven deaths and 554 missing.

Rescue teams have been searching for survivors in devastated valleys, and over 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal. The disaster has caused widespread devastation, with entire settlements swept away, and many people left to wait anxiously for news of missing loved ones. The Red Cross has estimated that as many as 93,000 people may have been affected, and the death toll is expected to rise.

Brief written by urgent.news from RTHK News, RTHK English, Arabian Post, Gulf News — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.