Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far been unable to contact around 40 Latvian travelers who are believed to be in flood-affected areas of Nepal and Tibet. As LSM English reports, relatives informed the consular department about 28 people who had been out of contact since the disaster.
Information about tourists
The list compiled by the Consular Department of Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs based on information from various sources, including relatives and friends, contains details of 39 tourists from Latvia. Of these, 34 are Latvian citizens and are part of two tourist groups.
One individual traveler was registered in the consular register. According to available information, he is safe and was far from the scene of the disaster at the time. The authorities currently have no information about injuries among Latvian citizens.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Search operations continue
Intensive search and rescue operations are continuing on the Nepalese side of the border, where the floods caused the greatest damage. More than 48 hours have passed since a landslide caused by a glacier collapse, but emergency services are still trying to reach remote settlements that have been cut off from the outside world.
The European Union has activated the Copernicus satellite system to assist Nepalese emergency services in searching for and rescuing people and has declared its readiness to provide additional support if necessary. Nepal and China have also warned of the risk of new floods: two large lakes have formed on both sides of the border, blocking mountain rivers and filling rapidly.
Latvia’s honorary consul in Nepal handed the list of Latvian citizens to the Nepalese authorities and met with the interior minister. Latvia’s embassy in China is also in contact with local authorities. Foreign Minister Baiba Braže said that repatriation flights are not currently being planned, as assessment of the disaster’s consequences and the search for people are continuing.
Download our app
