Ukraine says 56 citizens still missing after Nepal floods and landslides

Fifty-six Ukrainian citizens remain missing after devastating floods and landslides in Nepal, according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. No Ukrainians have been reported among the dead or injured. Search operations are ongoing as of 2 p.m. Kyiv time on Sept. 2. Rescue teams in China have reached the most severely impacted area near the Girung checkpoint, though heavy machinery cannot access the site due to blocked roads.

Searches are also ongoing inside hydropower plant tunnels where people may have sought refuge during the sudden flooding. Nepalese military and international specialized teams are conducting operations in the Chilime and Langtang areas. The Foreign Ministry stated that the operation is shifting from initial search and access to expanded ground and deep-search operations.

Ukrainian consulates and embassies are in constant communication with the relatives of missing Ukrainians and coordinating with authorities in China, India, and Nepal. As of Sept. 2, over 1,000 people were confirmed dead a week after catastrophic flash floods and landslides hit Nepal and neighboring Tibet, while around 4,000 remain missing.

Nepalese rescuers believe the chances of finding more alive are diminishing. The disaster began on Aug. 26 when a glacier collapsed near the Nepal-China border, unleashing a torrent of rocks, ice, mud, and debris through Himalayan river valleys. The surge caused water levels to surge, flooding settlements along its path. Thousands of foreign visitors and tourists were present in the region at the time.