Nepal floods: Families of 33 missing British tourists head to Nepal as death toll reaches 475

Families of British nationals missing after devastating floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border are travelling to Nepal in a desperate effort to find their relatives, as rescue teams continue searching an area hit by flash floods and debris flows, according to a report by BBC.

The death toll from the floods in Nepal and Tibet has risen to at least 475, while several hundred people remain missing, including 537 tourists. Nepalese authorities on Friday released the names of all known missing tourists, with 33 British nationals among those listed.

The search for survivors is continuing amid warnings of further flooding across the region.

Families travel to Nepal in search of missing relatives

Among the British nationals reported missing are a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy.

Fishtail Tours and Travels confirmed that Leena Bector, from Slough, was among 27 travellers linked to the tour company who remain unaccounted for.

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Her husband, Bhupesh Bector, told The Times, "I know that she's in Nepal for sure, so even if they find her today or tomorrow, I need to be there."

Essex nurse Rajendra Pudasaini said several of his relatives were "swept away" by the floods.

"My wife's auntie and uncle, and their granddaughter and her husband are missing, and my godson as well," he told PA Media.

"They're gone. The speed the water came, they couldn't be saved, they were just swept away."

Sarada Simkhada, a senior nurse at Darent Valley Hospital in Kent, is also among the missing, according to a local councillor.

The Times reported that Simkhada was "following in the footsteps of thousands of Hindus this month in making the spiritual journey to Mount Kailash".

Tatajana Phillips, from Folkestone in Kent, told the BBC that she has been unable to contact her sister, who was near the Nepal-Tibet border when the flash floods struck.

Phillips said the last known location of her sister, Julija Jakovicka, was in the border area about an hour before the flash floods hit.

"Then there is no more news," she told the BBC.

Phillips said her sister, a mother-of-two living in Germany, was in the region for a yoga and meditation retreat.

"We are terribly worried," added Phillips' husband Ben. "We just know where they were and that's really tough."

British tourists among those missing on Mount Kailash trips

Several missing tourists had been travelling towards the sacred Hindu pilgrimage site of Mount Kailash, according to Nepalese tour operator The Trekkers' Society.

The operator said nine British nationals on one of its tours were among those unaccounted for. They include four males aged 14, 50, 50 and 54, and five females aged 40, 46, 50, 50 and 53.

Tour companies including Alpine Eco Trek, The Trekkers' Society, Himalayan Glacier US, Kailash Journeys and Fishtail Tours have reported missing British nationals who were travelling with the companies.

Alpine Eco Trek said it had been unable to establish contact with 12 Britons booked on a Mount Kailash tour who were in the region when the flash floods struck.

The company's travel logs, shared with the Press Association, showed that a 13-year-old girl was the youngest person missing. Four Nepali tour guides working with the company are also missing.

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Nepal flood: What caused the disaster?

The flooding struck early on Wednesday in Rasuwa, just north of Nepal's capital Kathmandu.

Initial information suggested that an earthquake may have triggered the disaster. However, the US Geological Survey said further analysis indicated that "the seismic energy was instead generated by a landslide."

It said a magnitude 5.2 seismic event caused by a "glacial collapse and debris flow" occurred near the border at 08:37 local time (03:52GMT) on Wednesday.

The disaster has left large numbers of people unaccounted for and prompted an urgent search for survivors in affected areas.

UK offers £5m as rescue operation continues

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK had offered £5m to help the Nepalese government following the floods, describing the situation as "very distressing and devastating".

He had earlier urged Britons in the region "to follow guidance from the local authorities and follow our travel advice".

King Charles also expressed his sympathy for those affected. Speaking on Thursday, he said he and the Queen were "heartbroken" and sent their "most profound sympathy" to those affected.