Chinese Families Demand Answers on 100 Missing in Nepal Disaster as Death Toll Tops 1,000
Updated
Updated · CNN · Sep 1
Chinese Families Demand Answers on 100 Missing in Nepal Disaster as Death Toll Tops 1,000
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Sep 1
Summary
Around 100 Chinese nationals are unaccounted for on the Nepal side, and families in China are pressing employers and officials for faster rescue efforts and regular updates on missing relatives.
A draft letter from relatives of 24 workers on a Chinese-backed highway project says Nepali rescuers cannot reach the core site while Chinese teams are blocked by border restrictions, creating a cross-border rescue gap.
More than 1,000 people have been confirmed dead overall, while China said Sunday that 16 were dead and 546 missing on its side of the border, where roads are cut off and thick mud has slowed searches.
Tibet Tianlu said it deployed specialists, supplies and heavy machinery, and China's Foreign Ministry said all contacted Chinese nationals in Nepal were evacuated safely, but families say hotline calls went unanswered and project managers provided little detail.
Information has flowed far more slowly from China than from Nepal, with state media dominating coverage, foreign journalists restricted in Tibet and censors removing online disaster posts as Beijing insists disclosures have been timely and transparent.