Fifteen Britons are missing in China after devastating floods swept through parts of Tibet and Nepal, with authorities still struggling to establish the whereabouts of hundreds of people caught in the disaster.
Chinese authorities said 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries were missing in the Tibet autonomous region. The missing include 15 British citizens, 104 Nepalis, 49 Indians, 33 people from Latvia and 18 Americans.
The latest figures mean 48 British nationals are now reported missing on both sides of the Nepal-China border.
open image in galleryThirty-three Britons had previously been reported missing in Nepal.
Some of those missing in Nepal were believed to have been visiting the region on pilgrimage.
Among them are sisters Hemangini Jitendra Patel and Hema Sunil Amin, who were last known to have been seen at the Friendship Bridge linking Nepal and China, the Guardian reported.
The disaster began on Wednesday after a massive glacier collapse in the Himalayas triggered flash floods that swept through communities and engulfed the Gyirong port area on the border.
At least 903 people have now been confirmed dead in Nepal and China, according to figures released by authorities on Sunday, while more than 3,000 people remain unaccounted for.
open image in galleryThe number of missing Americans has also become the subject of conflicting figures. China reported 18 missing US nationals, while the US state department said at least 85 American citizens were unaccounted for.
Tommy Pigott, a state department spokesperson, said it had been difficult to obtain reliable information from the affected region, “made even more so by the devastation and the remoteness that we see”.
Chinese authorities have reported at least 16 deaths on their side of the border.
open image in galleryHowever, concerns have been raised about the transparency of casualty figures from China, where authorities have restricted the circulation of footage showing the extent of the flooding.
Search and rescue operations have been complicated by severe weather, the risk of landslides and uncertainty over whether some missing people were in Nepal or China when the floods struck.
China has deployed more than 2,100 rescue workers to the affected area, according to state television, along with specialist equipment to locate people trapped beneath debris. Supplies and equipment have also been delivered by air.
open image in galleryChinese premier Li Qiang has travelled to the region as rescue and relief operations continue.
Chinese president Xi Jinping said on Monday that China was making every effort to find people missing after a mudslide near the Tibet-Nepal border, Xinhua reported.
On the Nepalese side, police said 794 people had been confirmed dead and at least 2,742 injured. Authorities have warned residents in several areas to remain prepared for further flooding and possible evacuations.
open image in galleryThe British government has sent a rapid deployment team to Nepal and committed £5m in aid.
A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are working around the clock to support British nationals and their families affected by the devastating floods on the Nepal-China border. We are coordinating closely with the Nepali and Chinese authorities and have deployed consular support staff to the region to ensure British nationals can access support.”
Rescue teams are continuing to search for missing people as authorities face difficult conditions and a rapidly evolving situation across the mountainous border region.