WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR: 1 Filipino still missing after deadly Nepal flash flood

One Filipino remains missing following the deadly flash flood that struck Nepal on Wednesday, with Philippine officials continuing to coordinate with Nepalese authorities and the Filipino community to locate the missing national.

Philippine Embassy in India Consul General Maria Cynthia Pelayo said Friday that they have yet to receive information on the Filipino whose disappearance was reported following the disaster.

“Until now, we are still waiting for information about the missing Filipino which was reported yesterday,” Pelayo said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

The Filipino is among the 667 foreign nationals from 32 countries listed as still missing in the update released by Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday evening.

Nepalese authorities said 359 bodies had been recovered at that point.

Filipino community in Nepal accounted for

Pelayo said the Philippine Embassy has maintained close communication with the Filipino community in Nepal and that those they have accounted for are safe.

“Fortunately, they are all okay. They are well accounted for,” she said.

Most members of the Filipino community are in Kathmandu, according to Pelayo. She said around 90% of the profiles they have are spouses of Nepalese nationals, while the percentage of Filipino professionals in the country is “very minimal.”

The Philippine government earlier said there were 18 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Nepal based on Overseas Workers Welfare Administration records, while Department of Foreign Affairs data showed 128 Filipinos in the country.

Rescue efforts continue

Pelayo said Nepalese authorities continue rescue operations in areas affected by the flash flood, although access to some locations remains difficult.

The Philippine official also noted that getting information from the affected areas has been difficult, saying it would be challenging for her to personally reach the location.

Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established an emergency response team to coordinate search and rescue operations, verify information concerning missing foreign nationals and provide consular assistance. It has also urged families and diplomatic missions to rely on official channels and avoid circulating unverified information.

The disaster was triggered by a glacier collapse that sent a torrent of water, rock, ice and mud through Himalayan river systems along the Nepal-China border.

A Reuters report on Thursday quoting the Nepali police said that 359 had died, with dozens of bodies swept down into the plains from where they were being recovered.

Rescuers searched for survivors in the debris-strewn valleys and hillsides of Nepal on Thursday while more than 1,000 people remained missing there and in neighboring China after a wall of ice, mud and rock collapsed into a mountain river, triggering a catastrophic flash flood.

The Philippine government has also expressed condolences to Nepal and those affected by the disaster.

The Philippine Embassy in New Delhi said it may be reached through the following:

• Landline +91 9220405387 (Consular Phone) Assistance to Nationals (ATN) Line / WhatsApp / Viber) +919910797014
• Email: newdelhipe.atn@dfa.gov.ph

Philippine Honorary Consulate General – Kathmandu, Nepal may be reached through the following:

• Landline (Office): +977 014008801-805
• Mobile: +977 985 110 1777
• Email: philcongen@voith.com.np

—AOL, GMA News