Fifteen Britons among 261 foreigners missing after China-Tibet floods

Fifteen British nationals are among 261 foreign citizens reported missing in China after devastating floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border, according to figures released by Chinese authorities. The British nationals are part of a wider group from 23 countries reported missing in the Tibet autonomous region. The list includes 104 Nepalis, 49 Indians, 33 Latvians and 18 Americans, according to regional officials. Thirty-three other British people had already been reported missing on the Nepalese side, bringing the total number of missing Britons in the disaster zone to 48. The flooding began on Wednesday after what the source describes as a massive glacier collapse in the Himalayas. Flash floods then engulfed Gyirong port, a crossing on the Nepal-China border. Nepali and Chinese authorities reported a combined death toll of at least 810, while more than 3,000 people were believed to be missing. Chinese authorities said at least 16 people had died on their side of the border. The United States, however, reported a different figure for missing Americans: the US state department said at least 85 US citizens were missing. Its spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, said obtaining reliable information had been difficult because of the destruction and the region’s remoteness. Search operations have been complicated by landslide risks, severe weather and uncertainty over which side of the border some victims were on when the flooding occurred. Chinese state television said Beijing had deployed more than 2,100 rescue workers, provided more than 220m yuan in relief funding and used airdrops and life-detection equipment in the search. On the Nepal side, police said 794 people had been confirmed dead and at least 2,742 injured. Authorities warned that several areas remained vulnerable to further flooding and told residents returning home to stay prepared for possible evacuation. The British government has committed £5m to Nepal and sent a rapid deployment team to Kathmandu. The Foreign Office said it was coordinating with Nepali and Chinese authorities and had deployed consular staff to support British nationals and their families.