Couple living in Ticino among the missing after floods in Nepal and Tibet

An Italian-Swiss couple living in Ticino is among the missing after severe flooding hit the border region between Nepal and Tibet. The couple consists of a Swiss citizen and her partner, an Italian citizen.

Authorities in Nepal and China have temporarily suspended search and rescue operations in the affected areas, fearing a new flood. A lake that formed after a landslide reached an estimated volume of about two million cubic metres of water, raising fears of a sudden flood.

Rising death toll

The provisional death toll has risen to more than 584. Nepal and China also report around 2,400 people missing in total.

The causes of the flooding are still not fully clear. Scientists from both countries are continuing to investigate. According to initial assessments, the disaster may have been triggered by the collapse of a glacier on the border between Nepal and Tibet, which would have set off a series of landslides.