Two more Vietnamese citizens under verification in flood-hit Nepal

The information came from the Langtang National Park Office and was later published by the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN).

According to the records, two Vietnamese nationals were registered at the Langtang National Park checkpoint in Dhunche, Rasuwa district, on August 24, during the period from August 21 to 25.

However, the available information is not sufficient to establish their identities or current whereabouts. The names on the list may not match their full passport names, while the Embassy does not yet have complete details of their personal information, passport numbers, travel itineraries or current locations.

The Embassy stressed that the list provided by Langtang National Park is not an official list of missing people. It is a record of trekkers registered at the checkpoint for travel to the Gosaikunda and Langtang/Kyanjin Valley areas. Therefore, the appearance of the two Vietnamese nationals on the list does not mean that they are missing.

After receiving the information, the Embassy contacted relevant Nepalese authorities and asked for assistance in checking and cross-referencing information on people who had been rescued, those receiving medical treatment, missing persons and other relevant records to establish the whereabouts of the two Vietnamese citizens.

The Embassy is also coordinating with the Vietnamese Association in Nepal and the Vietnamese Honourary Consul in Nepal.

This comes after one Vietnamese citizen was previously included on a list of people reported missing in Nepal, bringing the number of Vietnamese nationals whose whereabouts are currently being verified in connection with the disaster to three.

Earlier reports identified one Vietnamese citizen among those missing after the Nepal Tourism Board released a list of foreign nationals.

Devastating floods leave hundreds dead and thousands missing

Flash floods and landslides struck areas along the Nepal-China border on August 26, with northern Nepal and Gyirong County in China’s Tibet particularly badly affected.

Large volumes of water, mud, rocks and debris destroyed homes, roads, bridges and other infrastructure, while disrupting transport and making rescue operations difficult.

Major global media outlets reported on August 31, 955 people had been killed and nearly 4,500 reported missing in Nepal and China. In Nepal alone, 903 people were confirmed dead and 4,247 missing, including 592 foreign nationals.

Search and rescue operations have been expanded to isolated areas and several hydropower projects. At some sites, hundreds of workers are believed to remain trapped or missing inside tunnels.

Rescue teams are using heavy machinery, drilling equipment and controlled demolition to reach areas buried under mud and debris. According to Reuters, rescue efforts were intensifying at hydropower projects in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, with hundreds of workers feared trapped in tunnels.

Initial assessments have pointed to a glacier-related event in the Himalayas as a possible trigger for the massive flow of water, ice and debris. Reuters reported that a collapse in the lower section of a glacier near Langtang Lirung may have triggered an ice-and-rock avalanche that developed into a powerful debris flow.

Rescue teams are continuing operations in difficult terrain, with assistance and coordination involving countries including China, India and the Republic of Korea.

Vietnam steps up consular protection efforts

Following the disaster, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructed Vietnamese representative missions in the region to urgently contact local authorities and community contacts to verify whether Vietnamese citizens could have been in the affected areas.

The Vietnamese Embassy in China and the Vietnamese Embassy in India, concurrently accredited to Nepal and Bhutan, were asked to closely monitor the situation and be ready to provide consular assistance when necessary. An official Vietnamese diplomatic notice on August 27 said no Vietnamese citizens had at that point been reported affected, while the Embassy continued to monitor the situation.

On August 27, senior Vietnamese leaders also sent messages of condolence to the leaders of Nepal and China over the loss of life and damage caused by the floods and landslides.

On August 29, the Nepal Tourism Board released a list of missing foreign nationals that included one Vietnamese citizen. The Vietnamese Embassy subsequently coordinated with relevant agencies and the Vietnamese community in Nepal to verify the information.

As rescue operations continue and information on missing people remains subject to change, verifying the identities, travel itineraries and current status of the two Vietnamese nationals recorded in Langtang is the immediate priority for Vietnamese agencies.

Vietnamese citizen missing in Nepal disaster

A Vietnamese citizen is among those missing following flash floods and landslides that struck northern Nepal, in an area bordering Tibet, China, on August 26, according to a notice from the Nepal Tourism Board.