Death toll climbs to 350, 25 Canadians missing in Nepal floods

The death toll is rising in Nepal after an unprecedented flood devastated the region near the Chinese border.

Local police have confirmed they have found around 350 bodies so far.

“Nepal sees more than its fair share of these kinds of events but this one … is the worst that I’ve ever seen,” said Daniel Shugar, associate professor and geomorphologist at the University of Calgary.

Experts believe the mudslide was triggered by ice that broke away from a glacier and came crashing down into the valley below.

While landslides are not uncommon in the mountain region, one of this magnitude is unprecedented.

On Thursday, over 1,300 people are still unaccounted for, 800 of those people being foreign nationals according to authorities.

The Nepal Tourism Board says 25 of these people are Canadian.

READ MORE: Canadian Red Cross helping Nepal quake victims

“Canada stands strong with all of those affected by the tragic flash floods along the border of Nepal and China that have caused loss of life, widespread destruction and washed away villages,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand said in a statement.

“We are monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide assistance as appropriate.”

Although the origins of the missing Canadians are unclear right now, the Hamilton Nepali Community Organization and Network (HanCON) released a statement expressing their sadness.

“HanCON urges members of the Hamilton community, the broader Nepali diaspora and local partners to keep the affected families in their thoughts and stand ready to assist as verified fundraising and humanitarian relief channels are established,” said the Hamilton Nepali Community Organization and Network.

Global Affairs Canada says it’s monitoring the situation closely but power outages in the region have made it “challenging” to establish full communication with those on the ground.

It says it is in contact with humanitarian partners and stands ready to contribute to humanitarian efforts as needed.

Neighbouring countries including China and South Korea have boots on the ground, with additional humanitarian aid expected from the European Union and India.

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