China identifies countries of 261 foreigners missing in Himalayan mudslide

China has identified the countries of 261 foreigners who are missing after a mudslide in the Himalayas, according to an official statement. The incident occurred on the Tibetan side of a border crossing with Nepal, resulting in 16 deaths in Tibet. The highest number of missing foreigners came from Nepal, totaling 104, followed by India with 49, Latvia with 33, the United States with 18, and Britain with 15.

The Chinese government has notified foreign missions about the situation. The disaster unfolded on Wednesday when a glacier collapse unleashed a surge of ice, rock, mud, and debris down Himalayan rivers, leading to 16 deaths in Gyirong County and a total of 546 people missing. In Nepal, the death toll reached at least 675, with 2,498 people reported missing and 7,514 having been rescued.

The disaster was attributed to glacier instability due to global warming, according to CCTV. China has mobilized over 2,100 rescue workers and allocated a significant amount of resources to aid in the relief efforts, including emergency cash assistance and disaster relief supplies. Both China and Nepal are collaborating to identify missing individuals and enhance cooperation in disaster prevention, mitigation, and climate-change response. It is estimated that over 90,000 people have been affected by the disaster.