Insurer ERGO to cover cost of returning belongings of Latvians missing in Nepal

Insurance company ERGO has announced it will cover the costs of transporting home the personal belongings of insured travelers who went missing in Nepal. The company says 33 people who traveled to Nepal in August, and who may have been in the area hit by a natural disaster, held ERGO travel insurance policies. Most of them are Latvian nationals, and they remain classified as missing.

Sanita Rubene, head of ERGO's claims settlement department, explained that the company is working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to arrange the return of missing travelers' belongings and luggage from Nepal. Relatives will be informed once more precise details about the transport process are available.

How compensation will work

ERGO will cover transport costs to Latvia for identified belongings whose return is coordinated through Latvian state authorities. For relatives who choose to arrange transport themselves — including to other countries — ERGO asks them to get in touch individually and keep all payment documents, such as invoices and receipts, related to the transport so the costs can be reimbursed.

The company stressed it continues to monitor the situation in Nepal in close contact with the Foreign Ministry and remains ready to provide the insurance coverage envisioned under the policy regardless of how events unfold — including medical assistance, repatriation and transport costs, or death benefits for relatives in the event of a traveler's death.

Background

A glacier collapse on August 26 triggered a flow of ice and meltwater that caused extensive damage in Nepal and China. As of September 9, the confirmed death toll stood at 1,410, with a further 5,651 people still listed as missing. A large group of Latvian tourists organized by the yoga community "Yantra" was near the disaster's epicenter, along with a smaller group traveling with the local company "Mighty Himalayan Trek." Latvia's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that three Latvian residents in the region were unharmed by the flood-triggered landslide, while 33 remain classified as missing. Chinese authorities have confirmed that all 33 missing Latvian nationals had been in China, and they have no information indicating the travelers crossed back into Nepal.