Lithuanian citizen remains missing after Nepal floods

One Lithuanian citizen who was officially reported missing after devastating floods in Nepal in late August remains unaccounted for, Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry said, according to LRT.

“The missing Lithuanian citizen remains on Nepal’s Tourism Department’s official list of missing foreigners,” the ministry told ELTA.

The ministry said there was no information that any other Lithuanians were missing and that no one else had requested assistance.

The ministry previously reported that the woman was in a migration building with a group of pilgrims when flooding hit the border area. Officials have contacted her relatives.

Scientists who analysed satellite images said the disaster occurred after rock beneath a glacier broke away high in the Himalayas, carrying part of the ice with it. The rock and melting water raised river levels in valleys below, triggering massive flooding.

Nepalese and Chinese authorities said the death toll had approached 1,400, with most deaths recorded on the Nepalese side. Search efforts for missing people are continuing.

The flash flood swept away 11 operating or under-construction hydropower plants and a solar power installation. Hundreds of workers are among those missing, and many are believed to remain trapped in tunnels and shafts at the facilities.

The United Nations estimates that damage to buildings alone amounts to 158 million US dollars. Nepal’s government has said reconstruction will cost several billion dollars.