Nepal floods - live: Brit family including girl, 13, and beauty queen mum 'among missing'

Nepal floods - live: Brit family including girl, 13, and beauty queen mum 'among missing' A British teenage girl and former Mrs India UK are among a family of four understood to have gone missing after flash floods in Nepal earlier this week A family from the UK including a girl, 13, and former Mrs India UK are reportedly among a family of four missing along with another 29 Brits after horror flash floods in Nepal and Tibet. Both the Nepal tourism board and a Hindu news outlet reported businessman Santosh Sahu, 46, his wife and former Mrs India UK winner Surabhi Manmath Padhy, 44, their son Spandan Sahu, 18, and daughter Syna Kumari Sahu, 13, as missing. Meanwhile, desperate search and rescue efforts have been halted over fears a dam, which has already overflowed, will burst. Chinese authorities say there is a "high risk" that the barrier lake, formed by a landslide caused by the floods on Wednesday could break apart and spark a new flood. At least 475 people have died in Nepal where nearly 1,000 people are missing, while 558 people are missing in Tibet, where three people have been confirmed dead. The Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said river levels rose by up to nine metres in just 30 minutes at the height of the flash floods on Wednesday. Key Events A family of four from Surrey are among the 33 Brits feared missing in the devastating Nepal floods. The millionaire family, from Cobham, Surrey, were reportedly on a pilgrimage in Nepal when they were caught in the flash flooding. Businessman Santosh Sahu, 46, his wife and former Mrs India UK winner Surabhi Manmath Padhy, 44, their son Spandan Sahu, 18, and daughter Syna Kumari Sahu, 13, are missing. They are among 33 Britons believed to be missing after the devastating flash floods on the Nepal/Tibet border. The Surrey family were on a pilgrimage to Gosainkunda, the summer after their son left school and mere weeks after their daughter’s 13th birthday, the Times reports. Speaking to the publication, a neighbour said: “They are a wonderful family who moved to Cobham ten years ago. They are a very happy family, they were good neighbours … it is unbelievable. They are a young family and the son has just got into Durham University. “They are very hard working and the father is the CEO of the pharmaceutical company Charac which works closely with the NHS." Mr and Mrs Sahu reportedly ran a successful technology company in London before Mr Sahu set up a pharmaceutical business. The family live in a six-bedroom house in Cohham which the Daily Mail reports is worth £1.3million. They had travelled to India last week before heading on a Nepalese-Tibetan trek. Their trekking group was last heard as they crossed from Nepal into Tibet shortly before the floods hit the area. Tour group organisers have tried to reach the family but to no avail. The Mirror has contacted the FCDO for an update on efforts to locate the family. Nepal’s disaster management authority said the number of people killed by the flash floods there has now risen to 538. Meanwhile the figure given by Nepali police was 547 The disaster authority said 977 people were still missing, including 517 foreign nationals meanwhile the Red Cross has said as many as 93,000 people may have been affected with homes destroyed, communications cut and remote areas still unreachable except by helicopter. Speaking to state-run China Global Television Network, David Fisher, head of delegation for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Nepal, described the scale of the devastation. He said some areas are now only accessible by helicopter, with all power and communications cut. A secondary flood has caused rescue workers to flee for safety, David Fisher, head of delegation for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Nepal, said. In a post Mr Fisher said Red Cross teams were moving to safety and spreading the word of the latest flood in the disaster-hit region. The news came as China warned there was a “high risk” that a a lake which was formed after the recent landslide may burst its banks, causing a second flood downstream. State broadcaster CCTV said that 2.5 million cubic metres of water had built up behind the landslide near the Nepal-Tibet border with a million more expected to flow into the lake in by the weekend, resulting in “high risk of a breach”. Police have updated the death toll in Nepal to 489 as rescuers start to recover bodies from worst-hit districts of Rasuwa and Nuwakot. Meanwhile reports from just over the nearby border in Tibet say five people have been confirmed killed and 558 people are currently missing in the region. Satellite images showing towns and villages before and after the devastating floods reveal whole communities scoured from the face of the earth by the raging floodwaters. A dammed lake has burst its banks on the Tibetan side of the border, sparking an alert by Nepal police. Search and rescue operations have been suspended for 90 minutes while locals, rescuers and security forces move to a safe location. Authorities in Nepal had said that the number of people killed in the disastrous flash floods has risen to 475. Nepal Police said search and rescue operations were ongoing as crews worked to remove roadblocks to areas hit by the water. Nepal's National Disaster authority has shared a database that tracks live rescue updates as search and operations continue after Wednesday's horror floods. The catastrophic deluge razed entire villages, swept away massive suspension bridges, and flattened entire power plants. As for the human toll, 469 bodies have been recovered so far. 977 people remain missing with 517 of those foreign nationals. More than 3,000 people have been found alive, the NDRRMA data confirms. More than 30 Brits remain among the hundreds of people missing and feared dead as rescue efforts continue following flooding in the Rasuwa district, which borders China’s autonomous region of Tibet. At least 469 people have died in Nepal and hundreds more are missing after Wednesday's flash flooding in the Himalayan border region, authorities have revealed. Officials are warning that there is a risk of possible further flooding at the China-Nepal border, days after Wednesday's catastophic deluge razed entire villages wiithout warning, as rescuers continue to search for the nearly 1,000 people still missing. China has warned that a barrier lake formed at the confluence of the Tsogyal and Purupqiangzangbu rivers is overflowing and could burst. Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority added. Chinese satellite data suggests the river was “blocked” and a lake had formed near the site of the floods. The latest figures out of Nepal have been shared by the mountainous nation's National Disaster authority. As per the latest report, chronicling the disaster reports in the wake of Wednesday's catastrophic flash floods along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river banks, the death toll stands at 389 dead and 977 missing. Of the missing, 517 are foreign nationals. Here is a full breakdown of the latest figures from Nepali authorities regarding the Himalayan nation's response to Wednesday's unparralelled emergency. Dead bodies recovered: 389 - Dhading: 22 - Nuwakot: 28 - Rasuwa: 17 - Gorkha: 32 - Nawalparasi East: 87 - Nawalparasi West: 27 - Tanahun: 28 - Chitwan: 137 Number of people deemed missing: 977 - Nepal Police: 28 - Nepal Army: 45 - Armed Police Force Nepal: 13 - Customs Office: 15 - Immigration Office: 4 - Rasuwa: 161 (via DEOC) - Nuwakot: 1 (via DEOC) - Makwanpur: 66 (via DEOC) - Missing Foreign Nationals: 517 - Nepali Citizens living abroad visiting Nepal: 127 Fishtail Tours and Travels said Leena Bector is among 27 travellers linked to the tour group who remain unaccounted for. 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.” A nurse from Essex says several relatives are missing after being “swept away” by the floods in Nepal. Rajendra Pudasaini, who works at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, told the Press Association his wife’s aunt and uncle, their granddaughter and her husband, and his godson are missing. He said his mother was rescued by the army with her two-and-a-half-month-old great-grandchild after becoming trapped in hospital. Mr Pudasaini said communication with family members has been badly affected by damage to electricity supplies and internet connections. The flooding appears to have been triggered by a glacial collapse and debris flow near the Nepal-China border, according to the United States Geological Survey. A seismic event recorded at 8.37am local time on Wednesday was initially thought to be an earthquake, but the USGS later said further analysis showed “no earthquake had occurred”. It concluded the event was a glacial collapse which sent debris downstream, causing what it described as “subsequent catastrophic impacts”. A senior nurse from Dartford is among those missing following the devastating floods in Nepal. Sarada Simkhada, who works at Darent Valley Hospital, travelled to the country last Saturday for a holy trip. She moved to Britain more than 20 years ago and is known as a hard-working member of her team, a friend told reporters. Meanwhile, Sunil Amin, from Croydon, said he last heard from his wife Hema Amin at around 4.30pm on Monday after she travelled to Nepal with her sister, Hemangini Pate. Wednesday 8.37am local time: A seismic event measuring magnitude 5.2 was detected near the Nepal-Tibet border. It was initially believed to be an earthquake, but the US Geological Survey later said it was caused by a glacial collapse. A huge surge of water and debris swept downstream, destroying buildings, roads and vehicles in its path. 2.45pm: Authorities said 384 tourists were missing, including 291 foreign nationals. It was later confirmed that 33 Britons were among those unaccounted for. By 5pm: Nepalese police said at least 17 people had been killed. 10.45pm: Nepal’s prime minister’s office said search and rescue operations would continue through the night, with civilian and military teams deployed. Thursday By 8am local time in Tibet: Chinese authorities said three people had died on the Tibetan side of the border and 558 remained missing. Shortly after 7.15am in Nepal: Police said 162 bodies had been recovered. The toll continued to rise during the day and now stands at 389. 2pm: Authorities said more than 900 people were now missing in Nepal, including more than 500 foreign nationals. More than 1,400 people are now missing across Nepal and Tibet, according to the latest figures from authorities. At least 910 people are unaccounted for in Nepal, while another 558 are missing in Tibet. Nepal's tourism board said 540 of those missing in the country are foreign nationals, including 178 Indians, more than 60 Americans and 33 Brits, according to AP. People from around 30 other countries, including Ukraine, South Africa and Japan, are also among those missing. Four foreign nationals – two Russians, one Bulgarian and one Swiss – have been rescued. Nepali authorities also reported the rescue of a number of local people, including children as young as four. Nepal police say the number of people killed in flash floods in the country has risen to 389. The husband of a British woman missing in Nepal has told Sky News he is "devastated" after being unable to make contact with her following flash floods in the country. Sunil Amin said he last heard from his wife, Hema Amin, on Monday afternoon. She had travelled to Nepal with her sister over the weekend on a pilgrimage to Gosainkunda Lake, which was due to last until September 4. "I keep trying to call her. I've been trying, trying, trying," he told the broadcaster, speaking from Croydon. "We are waiting for replies but nothing is coming through. We're having no joy." He described the waiting as a "horrible, horrible feeling". The Prince and Princess of Wales have released a statement addressing the devastating floods on the Nepal-Tibet border. In a social media post, William and Kate said "the scale of the devastation" from the flash floods was "shocking". "We are thinking of everyone caught up in this terrible disaster. Our thoughts are especially with the families facing an unbearable wait for news and with the communities confronting such immense loss," they said. King Charles has said in a written message: "My wife and I are heartbroken to hear of the devastating flooding that has struck the Nepal-China border. "Many in the United Kingdom have strong, deep and personal ties to this part of the world. "We send our most profound sympathy to all those who have so tragically lost their loved ones and we feel deeply for the many families awaiting anxiously the news of friends and relations. "Our hearts go out also to the families of all the police and Armed Forces personnel who lost their lives while carrying out their courageous duty in the service of others and we give our deepest thanks to those who have responded so selflessly in undertaking rescue efforts. "Our special thoughts and prayers remain with all those affected and, as always, the United Kingdom stands ready to help support those in need. Charles R." The King said he and the Queen are 'heartbroken" and sent their "most profound sympathy" to those affected by the "devastating" flash floods in Nepal, where dozens of British nationals are among the hundreds missing and feared dead. Many of the missing may have been on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus, Buddhists and others. Eighty people from one pilgrimage group were caught in the floods at the immigration office at the Nepal-Tibet border, according to a post on X from Indian guru and the head of the Isha Foundation, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. Appearing visibly emotional in a video, Sadhguru said the group included 22 US nationals, 12 Canadians, 11 Australians, nine Britons and people from various other countries. He said there was still no official information about their whereabouts. More than 1,300 people are missing, including hundreds of foreigners. Shova Shrestha, a 33-year-old Nepalese woman, has spent more than a day waiting for news of her husband, Rajan Shrestha. She said his phone rang when she first tried to call him after the floods, but she was later unable to get through to him. Since then, she has watched every helicopter arriving in Bidur, the capital of Nuwakot district, hoping her husband might be among the survivors. "I keep looking at each helicopter, hoping he will step out of it," Shova said. Nepal police say the death toll has risen to 353, as of 5pm local time (12.15pm BST). Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said earlier today that 910 people are missing, including 517 foreign citizens, 44 members of the Nepal Army and 28 Nepal police officers. Nepal police said in an update that 332 people have died as of 3.50pm local time (11.05am BST) today following the devastating flash floods. Nirajan Paudyal, a journalist based in Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu, is anxious about his parents and other relatives, who live in the small village of Soley in the hard-hit Nuwakot district. He told The Associated Press: "There is no update till now. I fear there won’t be any update." The disaster has left at least 270 dead and 826 people missing in Nepal. Three people have died and 558 remain missing in Tibet, an autonomous region of China, authorities said. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the UK has offered £5 million to help the Nepalese government amid a "very distressing and devastating situation" following flash floods. Kalpana Malla, from Nepal’s Nuwakot district, told BBC News: “My family members were swept away by the flood in front of my eyes.” She added: “They could not escape the flood, there was no chance at all. “This flood took everything, but my son and I climbed the rooftop of a house and survived, but couldn’t explain how.”