Malaysians Among 261 Foreign Nationals Unaccounted For After Xizang Mudslide

GYIRONG, Xizang (China), Aug 30 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Three Malaysians are among 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries identified as unaccounted for following a mudslide that struck Gyirong Port along the China-Nepal border in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region on Aug 26, local authorities said Sunday.

The latest figure was announced at a press conference held by the regional government’s information office following a joint search and cross-checking of information by foreign affairs, public security, culture and tourism, and emergency management authorities, Xinhua reported.

The 261 foreign nationals include 104 from Nepal, 49 from India, 33 from Latvia, 18 from the United States, 15 from Britain, six each from Canada and Australia, four from South Africa, and three each from Malaysia, Germany and Russia.

Others unaccounted for include two each from Ireland, Estonia, France, the Netherlands and New Zealand, and one each from Kazakhstan, Finland, Lithuania, Portugal, Ukraine, Spain and Hungary.

Chinese authorities have notified the countries' embassies and consulates in China, according to the press conference.

Following multiple rounds of searches, site inspections and checks of individuals at the port, no foreign tourists are currently stranded in Gyirong County, the authorities said.

China has also opened two 24-hour English-language hotlines for the families of the unaccounted-for foreign nationals: 0086-891-6817165 and 0086-18308026705.

--BERNAMA-XINHUA