William and Kate, Charles and Camilla send condolence messages to Nepal as they ‘feel deeply’ for families waiting news after flash floods
King Charles and Queen Camilla and the Princess and Princess of Wales have sent condolences and said they are ‘heartbroken’ by the ‘terrible’ Nepal flash floods which have killed at least 362 people.
At least 1,500 people remain missing along the Nepal-China border, including a 13-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy who are among at least 33 British nationals unaccounted for.
Horrific footage of millions of litres of water levelling entire villages in the region have circulated on social media, with hundreds of foreign tourists among the missing.
Addressing the crisis today, the King said: ‘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.’
At least 1,500 people remain missing along the Nepal-China border, including a 13-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy who are among at least 33 British nationals unaccounted for
The King and Queen described themselves as ‘heartbroken’ by the situation in Nepal
The Prince and Princess of Wales paid tribute to first responders amid the tragedy
Shortly afterwards Prince William and Princess Catherine also paid tribute to first responders in a written message: ‘The scale of the devastation along the Nepal-China border is 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.
‘We are incredibly grateful to all those working in such dangerous conditions to rescue people and support those affected. W & C.’
It comes after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the Government will do ‘everything we can’ to support British nationals in Nepal.
In a statement, he said: ‘These scenes emerging from along the Nepal-China border are devastating. My thoughts are with all those affected, including the families and loved ones of British nationals missing in this tragedy.
‘We will do everything we can to support British nationals impacted in the region and are in touch with the relevant authorities to offer support.
‘I urge British nationals in the region to follow guidance from the local authorities and follow our travel advice.’
The UK has offered £5 million to help the Nepalese government in the aftermath of the disaster, the PM added.
Footage of the floods circulating online showed a powerful tsunami plunging from mountains, with the wall reportedly reaching hundreds of feet high in places.
Scores of men in orange hi-vis jackets and hard hats fled in terror as they watched the mass of water rush at them
As the surge of water twisted down the river, onlookers screamed in terror as it came hurtling towards them
Horrified onlookers filmed a huge boulder of mud swept away by the water as it passed their homes
A vehicle is seen in the aftermath of a flash floods in Devighat in the Nuwakot district in Nepal
Houses lie partially submerged in muddy water along a riverside after flash floods at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal’s Nuwakot district
An aftermath view of flash floods and mudslides along the Trishuli River in Nepal
Locals and tourists alike ran for their lives amid the deadly onslaught, which swept entire buildings away effortlessly.
It is thought the flash flood was caused by a glacier collapse, which was so powerful it initially registered as a seismic event measuring 5.2 in magnitude.
Chinese government geologist Guo Zhaocheng said the ice-avalanche debris flow that caused the mudslide traveled at about 50 meters (165ft) per second, leaving people little time to react, and extended for more than 20km (12 miles).
Guo said a high-altitude ice avalanche triggered the debris flow, which picked up glacial moraine as it moved down a channel before becoming a mudslide that struck port facilities and areas on both sides of the China-Nepal border.
And there are fears of a second flood within days after Chinese Ministry of Water Resources has said a significant landslide dam, where rock, mud and debris have blocked the flow of water, has formed near where the Tsogyal River and the Purupqiangzangbu River meet in Nepal.
As of Thursday morning, the estimated water volume had reached two million cubic meters, and the lake was overflowing.
Another three million cubic meters of water is projected to enter the lake over the next three days. This puts the dam at risk of collapsing, which could flood the area again.
And Nepal’s disaster management authority warned of a potential new flood risk along the Bhotekoshi river after satellite images and preliminary analysis indicated that the river had been blocked and a lake had formed at the site of Wednesday’s flood.
The lake is rising and could burst, the authority said, urging residents and rescuers along the lower banks of the river to move to safe areas away from the river.
The tally of missing in Tibet’s Gyirong County was 558, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said on Thursday, including 260 foreign nationals. China said the death toll stayed at three.
It is unclear if these figures overlap with those released by Nepalese authorities.
The missing foreigners in Nepal belonged to more than two dozen countries, including 288 from India, 63 from the United States, 51 from Malaysia, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain and 25 from Canada.
