Some one thousand people, mostly tourists, from the European Union are still unaccounted for in Nepal nearly a week after a devastating earthquake rocked the South Asian country, EU ambassador to Nepal Rensje Teerink says.
Speaking to reporters in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, on Friday, Teerink added that the missing EU nationals were mostly trekking in the remote Langtang and Lukla areas, which are small Himalayan airstrips known as the gateway to Everest.
“We don’t know where they are, or they could be. They are missing but we don’t know what their status is,” she added.
The EU official also confirmed that 12 citizens of the 28-nation bloc died in Nepal after the massive earthquake.
Footage shows the moment the devastating earthquake shatters Nepal
Langtang is a trekking region to the north of Kathmandu that has been hit by a huge avalanche and mudslides, while Lukla is the jumping-off point for walkers and climbers making the nine-day trek to Everest base camp.
On Friday, Nepal’s National Emergency Operation Center said in its latest update that a total of 6,204 people are now known to have lost their lives while another 13,932 were injured in the 7.8-magnitude quake on April 25.
The center also said that more than 100 others were killed in neighboring India and China.
The huge quake triggered an avalanche at Everest base camp that left 18 people dead.
Diplomats say it is hard to trace the missing because many backpackers do not register with their embassies when they arrive in Nepal, a country which is a popular destination for trekkers and climbers.
Nepal’s government struggles to deal with the scale of the disaster. Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has recently warned that the death toll could soar to as many as 10,000 as rescue teams reach far-flung villages and towns.
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