A British nurse, Sarada Simkhada, who was on a Hindu pilgrimage to a sacred mountain in Nepal, is among at least 33 UK nationals missing following flash floods that have killed hundreds and left thousands more unaccounted for. The tragedy, described as a 'tsunami from the sky,' is believed to have been triggered by a glacial collapse.
Ms. Simkhada, a senior nurse at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, traveled to Nepal last Saturday and was last heard from by her husband one day before the floods struck on Wednesday. Her relatives have expressed growing concern for her safety.
She is one of dozens of Britons missing in the Nepal-China border region. Among the others are a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, Leena Bector, 53, from Slough, who was touring the Himalayas, and Nabhi Das from Streatham in south London. Hema Amin, from Croydon, was in Nepal with her sister and last communicated with her husband on Monday.
Ms. Bector's husband, Bhupesh, became concerned after her location tracker showed no movement for seven hours following the disaster. He has secured a flight to Nepal to join the search efforts.
As of Thursday morning, Nepalese authorities reported at least 362 deaths and approximately 1,500 people missing. The Chinese government reported 558 missing in Tibet's Gyirong County, including 260 foreign nationals, though it is unclear if these figures overlap. Foreign nationals reported missing in Nepal include 288 from India, 63 from the United States, and 51 from Malaysia, in addition to the Britons.
Footage of the event shows a powerful wall of water, reportedly hundreds of feet high, surging from mountains and sweeping away buildings. The flash flood is thought to have been caused by a high-altitude ice avalanche that triggered an ice-avalanche debris flow. Chinese geologist Guo Zhaocheng stated the debris flow traveled at about 50 meters per second, leaving little time for people to react. The flow extended for more than 20 kilometers.
There are fears of a secondary flood event. Chinese authorities have reported the formation of a significant landslide dam near the Tsogyal and Purupqiangzangbu rivers in Nepal. This dam, holding an estimated two million cubic meters of water, is overflowing and could collapse. Nepal's disaster management authority has also warned of a potential new flood risk along the Bhotekoshi River due to a blockage and the formation of a lake. Residents and rescuers along the river's lower banks have been urged to move to higher ground.
The UK government has offered £5 million to aid Nepal in the aftermath of the disaster and has set up a dedicated helpline for those affected. King Charles and other members of the royal family have expressed their condolences.