KATHMANDU: A total of 310 foreign tourists have been rescued following the Bhotekoshi floods in Rasuwa, while 607 others from 34 countries remain missing, according to the Department of Tourism.

Of those rescued, 258 are men and 52 are women. Another 13 people who had lost contact following the floods have since re-established contact, the department said.

The 607 missing foreign tourists include 329 women, 269 men and nine people whose gender has not been established. Indian nationals account for the largest group, with 189 reported missing, followed by nationals of the United States (65), Malaysia (55), Ukraine (54), China (37), Australia (33), Latvia (33), the United Kingdom (32) and Canada (30).

The missing tourists had travelled through various companies for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage and the Janai Purnima festival at Gosainkunda, said Suraj Ghimire, information officer at the Department of Tourism.

A further 188 Nepali tourists are missing, including 161 men and 27 women. They comprise Nepali support staff travelling with foreign tourists as well as Nepali visitors to Kailash Mansarovar and Gosainkunda.

Local authorities and security agencies are continuing search, rescue and relief operations in the affected areas.