As Nepal flood toll rises, British families fly out in search of missing loved ones

AS THE death toll surges, UK families have moved to Nepal in search of their missing relatives.

The death toll from the floods in Nepal and Tibet has risen to at least 475, with several hundred people missing, including 537 tourists. Among the British nationals reported missing are a 13-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy. On Friday, Nepalese authorities released a list of the names of all known missing tourists, 33 of which are British nationals.

Fishtail Tours and Travels confirmed Leena Bector, from Slough, was among 27 travellers linked to the tour company who remain unaccounted for, BBC reported. Her husband, Bhupesh Bector, told The Times: "I know that she's in Nepal for sure, so even if they find her today or tomorrow, I need to be there."

Nepal floods: UK races to trace 33 missing Britons as death toll passes 160

Essex nurse Rajendra Pudasaini said his relatives were "swept away" by the floods. "They're gone. The speed the water came, they couldn't be saved, they were just swept away," he told PA Media.

Tatajana Phillips, from Folkestone, told the BBC she has not been able to contact her sister Julija Jakovicka, a mother-of-two living in Germany who was near the Nepal-Tibet border on a yoga retreat when the flooding hit. "We are terribly worried," said Phillips' husband Ben.

The Trekkers' Society said nine British nationals on one of its tours to Mount Kailash were unaccounted for. Alpine Eco Trek said it could not contact 12 Britons booked on a tour to the site, with a 13-year-old girl the youngest missing; four of the firm's Nepali guides are also missing.

Kailash pilgrims caught in Nepal flash floods, Indian-origin US couple still missing

The flood hit early on Wednesday in Rasuwa, north of Kathmandu. The US Geological Survey said a magnitude 5.2 seismic event caused by a "glacial collapse and debris flow" occurred near the border at 08:37 local time on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK has offered £5m to help Nepal, calling it a "very distressing and devastating situation". King Charles said he and the Queen were "heartbroken".