An Israeli man in his 60s has been reported missing after devastating floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border region, cutting communications and leaving hundreds of people unaccounted for.
The man had been traveling with an organized group that visited Mount Kailash in Tibet, where a Buddhist ceremony is held at this time of year. Few Israeli travelers typically visit the region during the current season.
Dramatic footage from Tibet: massive torrent sweeps away people and vehicles
(Video: Reuters)
At around 9 a.m. Wednesday, he reached the border crossing between Tibet and Nepal and is believed to have crossed with about 70 foreign tourists. A short time later, a massive surge of water swept through the crossing.
Since then, there has been no contact with him or the other members of his group, and it remains unclear whether they are on the Tibetan or Nepalese side of the border. Communications across the area have been severely disrupted, raising the possibility that he is safe but simply unable to contact relatives.
The group was expected to reach Kathmandu, but never arrived.
Several other Israeli backpackers are also currently out of contact, with their number estimated at about five, though there is no indication at this stage that their cases are directly connected to the floods. Travelers in the Langtang trekking area are also being treated as out of contact, although current assessments suggest those in the area are likely safe.
Extreme weather has triggered floods and landslides across parts of Nepal and along the border with Tibet, damaging infrastructure, blocking roads and making some areas inaccessible.
The Foreign Ministry has urged Israelis in Nepal to exercise heightened caution and avoid areas hit by flooding or designated by local authorities as dangerous. Travelers in areas at risk of flooding, landslides or rising river levels have been advised to stay away from rivers, streams and unstable slopes and avoid unnecessary travel on roads that could collapse or become blocked.
The ministry also advised travelers to follow local weather warnings closely, keep relatives informed of their location and route, carry charged phones and backup power supplies, and avoid attempting to cross flooded roads, bridges or waterways.
Israeli diplomatic officials in the region are working to locate the missing man. The Foreign Ministry said Israel’s consulate in Beijing and its department responsible for Israelis in distress abroad are in continuous contact with his family and are assisting search efforts.
Rescue operations are continuing across Nepal and Tibet after a massive flow of water, ice and mud buried villages and towns near the border.
Nepal’s official death toll had risen to 157 by Wednesday night and is expected to increase significantly, with hundreds of people still missing. At least 291 foreign tourists who had been traveling in the affected region are also unaccounted for.
(Photo: Prabin RANABHAT / AFP)
China, which administers Tibet, has reported three confirmed deaths and hundreds of people missing, with authorities also fearing extensive damage there.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar expressed solidarity with Nepal over the disaster and sent condolences to the families of those killed.
Rabbi Chezki Lifshitz, the Chabad emissary in Kathmandu, described the destruction as potentially unprecedented in Nepal.
“This appears to be the biggest disaster in Nepal’s history, at least in terms of destruction,” he said. “They are talking about between 1,000 and 10,000 dead. It will take time to know. The river took everything, people together with their homes. The entire area is cut off.”