President Zardari, PM Sharif express heartfelt sympathies for Nepal flood victims

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed sympathies to the bereaved families affected in Nepal after a massive flood tore through the border region.

Rescue teams rushed Thursday to find hundreds of people missing on the Nepal border in flash floods and landslides that killed at least 160. Many of the missing are foreign tourists, officials said of the disaster that wiped out entire villages. The death toll appeared likely to rise.

Is a post on X, PM Sharif said he was deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives and widespread devastation caused by the floods and landslides in Nepal’s Rasuwa District and other affected areas.

“My heartfelt sympathies are with the bereaved families and all those affected by this tragedy,” the prime minister said, adding that Pakistan stood in solidarity with the government and people of Nepal during this difficult time. 

“We pray for the safety and well-being of all those in the affected areas,” he said. 

President Zardari also expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and devastation caused by the floods and mudslides.

“The president conveyed Pakistan’s sympathies to the bereaved families and solidarity with the people and Government of Nepal. He prayed for the recovery of those injured and the safe return of those still missing,” the presidency said in a post on X. 

Chinese state media reported "major casualties" from a mudslide, reporting three dead and another 265 people missing.

Nepali police said they had recovered 157 bodies after "devastating floods," with officers working to move families in flood-risk areas to safety.

In the area hit by the disaster, rescuers waded through mud and sludge to look for survivors after floodwaters buried the lower floors of multi-storey buildings.

Some 403 tourists — 341 of them foreigners — were unaccounted for several hours after the disaster struck, according to Nepal's tourism ministry.

The missing foreigners included 142 Indians, and others from Australia, Britain, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea and the United States, the tourism board said.

"Entire villages and market areas have been wiped out," said David Fisher, the Nepal head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

It said it was dispatching emergency supplies including blankets, first aid kits, stretchers and body bags.