No Latvian citizens yet found among rescued in Nepal floods
Nepalese authorities have published lists of rescued and missing people following glacier-triggered floods, but no Latvian nationals appear among those rescued so far. Latvia's Foreign Ministry is working to correct the lists and is asking relatives to submit DNA samples.
Nepal's Tourism Department has published a list of 29 Latvian citizens considered missing following the recent natural disaster. Among the names of rescued people released by Nepal's rescue service, no Latvian nationals appear so far, Latvia's Foreign Ministry told the LETA news agency.
The ministry notes the list contains errors and is incomplete, so Latvia's honorary consul in Nepal has been in contact with responsible authorities to have it corrected and updated. In total, there is no information about 33 Latvian nationals in the disaster-affected region. This list has been submitted to Nepal's Foreign Ministry as well as the European External Action Service and Finland's Foreign Ministry, since Finland maintains an embassy in Nepal.
Communication and identification difficulties
Extensive rescue operations continue in the region, though it currently has no phone service or internet access. Since August 28, Nepal's police have operated an online portal where families can try to identify unrecognized individuals, but much of the information is in the local language, and images are often blurry.
Latvia's honorary consul reported that only a few of the deceased found in the flood-hit region have been identified, while the rest remain in temporary storage facilities and hospitals. Nepalese authorities say identification of many victims is no longer possible due to the condition of the remains, so authorities in Chitwan district have decided to bury the remains with dignity.
Call for DNA samples
To speed up potential identification, parents and children of missing Latvian citizens are being asked to voluntarily submit DNA samples to the State Police Forensic Department. Starting August 30, samples can be submitted at several locations across Latvia after first contacting police representatives to arrange time and place, bringing valid identification documents.
The Foreign Ministry has received word that one Latvian citizen from a different tour group is safe in Tibet, suggesting other unaccounted-for Latvian nationals may still be in the region. Earlier, the ministry reported 39 tourists from Latvia, 34 of them in two tour groups, none of whom had registered with the Consular Register.
On August 26, a glacier collapse triggered a flow of ice debris, causing a glacial lake outburst flood with water and mud that caused extensive damage in Nepal and China. By Sunday morning, at least 630 people were confirmed dead and around 3,000 remained missing.
