OTTAWA — Canada has deployed a team of federal officials to Nepal as the urgent search continues for 30 Canadians and permanent residents still unaccounted for following catastrophic flooding in the Himalayan region.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said 10 Canadian officials are now on the ground in Nepal, including an RCMP liaison officer, to help locate missing Canadians, assist affected families and work with local and international authorities.
The massive disaster was triggered after a glacier collapsed in the Himalayan border region between Nepal and China, unleashing devastating flash floods and mudslides. About 800 people have been reported killed and roughly 3,000 remain missing.
Anand said the Canadian government’s immediate priority is to locate Canadians and permanent residents and confirm their safety while providing assistance wherever possible.
There was some encouraging news over the weekend when one Canadian who had previously been reported missing was located safely.
However, as of Monday, 30 Canadians and permanent residents remained unaccounted for. Anand cautioned that the number could change as authorities receive additional information and establish contact with people in the affected region.
The federal government says it is maintaining direct communication with families awaiting news of their loved ones. Officials have established designated contacts for affected families and have also held a collective meeting with them.
The scale of the disaster has made the search particularly difficult. Severe flooding and mudslides have damaged roads and communications infrastructure across parts of Nepal, while many foreign visitors may have been travelling or trekking in remote Himalayan areas when the disaster struck.
Global Affairs Canada says its officials are contacting trekking companies, hospitals, rescue centres, local police, airlines and Canadian travel-industry partners in an effort to trace missing travellers and determine their whereabouts.
Among the Canadian officials deployed to Kathmandu is Canada’s deputy high commissioner to India.
Canada is also coordinating its search efforts with Nepalese and Chinese authorities and several international partners, including members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance as well as France, Japan, Italy and Singapore.
The RCMP has sent a liaison officer to Nepal to assess what additional assistance may be required. Canadian police are also working through INTERPOL and have offered forensic expertise and equipment that could assist authorities dealing with the aftermath of the disaster.
Beyond the search for Canadians, Ottawa has announced $5 million in emergency humanitarian assistance for Nepal to support relief efforts and communities devastated by the flooding.
The federal government has also updated its travel advice for both Nepal and China, warning Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to areas affected by the disaster.
Authorities remain concerned about the possibility of additional flooding and mudslides, particularly in areas where infrastructure has already been severely damaged.
For Canadian families, however, the immediate concern remains the fate of the 30 people who have yet to be located.
With Canadian personnel now working directly in Nepal alongside local authorities, police, hospitals, rescue organizations and international partners, the search is intensifying.
Every successful contact could bring relief to another family waiting thousands of kilometres away for news that their loved one is safe.