British man rescued in Nepal almost week on from flood, authorities sayA rescue worker confirmed a British male was among the 119 saved in the search and rescue operation.People salvaging their belongings from a building damaged by flash flooding in the Nuwakot district of Nepal (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)APIzzie Addison1 minute ago
A British man has been rescued in Nepal nearly a week after flash floods killed more than 1,000 people in the country, an official has said.
The British national, who has not been named, was saved alongside 118 Nepalese people on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference in Nepal, an army spokesman told reporters: “Regarding today’s rescue, since 1700 hours we have rescued 118 Nepalese people.
“Out of the 118, 44 were female and 74 were male, and we have also rescued one British male during this search and rescue operation, and the search and rescue operation is continuing.
“Massive work has been going on in the tunnel, all the tunnels.”
A rapid deployment team was dispatched to Nepal to assist those seeking information about missing relatives (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)AP
In a statement on Facebook, the Nepali Army said 119 people, including a British citizen, had been rescued through the use of air resources on Tuesday.
Crews have faced difficult conditions as they searched unstable terrain and piles of debris, raising fears the death toll could rise as rescuers reach isolated communities.
Rescuers are attempting to reach hundreds of workers believed to be trapped inside tunnels at hydropower projects that were damaged by the floods.
The Foreign Office has been contacted for comment about the rescue announcement which came after Foreign Office minister Lord Wood of Anfield told the House of Lords that 36 British people are currently unaccounted for, up from the previous total of 33.
In an update on Tuesday, the Nepalese Tourist Board said 330 foreign nationals had been rescued.
On Saturday, a rapid deployment team from the UK arrived in Nepal to provide support for Britons and their families.
The team, comprising specially trained crisis response staff, will work alongside the British embassy and local authorities to support British nationals arriving at and departing from the airport, as well as those seeking information about missing relatives.
The team will liaise with local authorities and emergency responders, reinforce existing consular operations on the ground, and work with families in the UK concerned for loved ones.
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It forms part of the UK’s wider response to the flooding, which includes £5 million of humanitarian support for relief and recovery efforts.
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