33 citizens of Latvia missing after disaster in the Himalayas: what is known two months later

More than two months after the natural disaster in the border area of Nepal and China, the fate of 33 missing citizens of Latvia remains unknown. According to the LETA agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia has not yet received any new information from either the Nepalese or Chinese authorities. This was reported by the ministry's spokesperson Liga Ermacane. ### DNA samples from relatives have been sent to both countries According to the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Police of Latvia has sent DNA samples from the relatives of the missing citizens to the authorities of Nepal and China. These materials are necessary for the possible identification of people who disappeared during the natural disaster. Earlier, the authorities of Nepal confirmed that they received the transmitted DNA profiles and that they are suitable for conducting the necessary research. However, there has been no information about the results of the identification or other new circumstances regarding the disappearance of the Latvian citizens so far. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured that the relatives of the missing will be informed immediately after receiving new information. ### What happened on August 26? Recall that on August 26, a powerful debris flow was triggered by the collapse of a glacier, causing widespread destruction in the territory of Nepal and China. At that time, a group of tourists from Latvia was near the site of the disaster. After the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that three residents of Latvia who were in the affected region were unharmed. At the same time, the whereabouts of another 33 people could not be established. They were declared missing. ### Searches remain without new results As of November 2, there is no official information allowing the fate of the missing citizens of Latvia to be established. The transfer of DNA samples was one of the steps in clarifying the circumstances of their disappearance, but no confirmed results have been reported so far. The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to await information from the competent authorities of Nepal and China.