Nearly 350 More Missing in One Day... 165 Bodies Recovered

The number of missing persons surged to approximately 820 on the 27th, local time, marking the second day since a massive flood struck the Himalayas in Nepal near the Chinese border.

Local Nepalese media outlet Online Khabar and Reuters reported that Nepalese police announced that 826 people are missing following the massive flood that hit areas in Bagmati Province yesterday (the 26th), local time.

The number of missing people, which was once tallied at 484 yesterday, increased by nearly 350 within a single day as reports continued to pour in.

Among the total missing, about 600 are foreign nationals, while over 200 are Nepalese citizens.

The missing foreign nationals are reportedly from about 28 countries, including India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia, Italy, and Ukraine.

Nine South Koreans affiliated with Korea South-East Power and Doosan Enerbility, who were constructing a hydroelectric power plant in the region, have also lost contact.

A joint government rapid response team consisting of South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Police Agency, and National Fire Agency departed from Incheon International Airport and headed to Kathmandu, Nepal.

As search operations continued, the death toll increased by 8 from 157 yesterday, with Nepalese police recovering 165 bodies.

"We have resumed the search and expect more bodies to be recovered," said Binaya Narayan Kafle, a spokesperson for the Nepalese police. "The death toll is also expected to rise."

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority of Nepal stated that 80 bridges and 40 kilometers of roads were damaged, and 83 security personnel, including local police and soldiers, are missing.

In Gyirong County, Xigaze, in China's Tibet Autonomous Region near the Nepalese border, a landslide believed to be linked to the cause of this flood also occurred, leaving 3 people dead and 558 missing.

Among those missing in Tibet, 260 are foreign nationals.

Combined, the number of missing persons in both Nepal and Tibet exceeds 1,300.

Possibility has been raised that this flood was caused by the collapse of massive amounts of glaciers and rocks due to climate change in the Himalayas driven by global warming.

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