An 18-year-old student from Surrey and his family are among 33 British nationals reported missing following severe floods in Nepal. Spandan Sahu, who recently completed his A-levels at Royal Grammar School, Guildford, had been preparing to study philosophy, politics, and economics at university. He was traveling with his father, Santosh Sahu, 46, the chief executive of UK pharmaceutical technology company Charac; his mother, Surabhi Manmath Padhy, 44; and his 13-year-old sister, Syna Kumari Sahu. The school expressed concern over their disappearance and extended sympathies to all affected families.

The group of missing Britons includes several individuals traveling in the Himalayan region on religious pilgrimages or guided tours. Neetu Goyal Tiwari, 51, had embarked on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash on August 14, fulfilling a long-held aspiration, her family said. She was traveling with a group from the Isha Foundation and originally planned to return to India on August 27. Her brother pleaded publicly for information regarding her whereabouts.

Also unaccounted for is Sarada Simkhada, a senior nurse at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent. She was on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash when family contact was lost. Her brother conveyed hopes for her safety via social media. Other missing British citizens include Leena Bector of Slough, who traveled with tour operator Fishtail Tours and Travels, and Hema Amin, 63, from South London, who was undertaking a pilgrimage from Nepal to Tibet with Alpine Eco Trek.

Among those missing are Mala and Bipin Patel, a Coventry couple on a similar pilgrimage, with their son expressing distress over their unresolved status. Nabhi Nandan Das, a Hindu priest from South London, was leading a group of British tourists when the floods struck. Psychiatrist Pravin Atmakur, born in India and working for the UK’s National Health Service, was guiding 77 pilgrims in Tibet; his wife has traveled to Nepal to assist in the search.

The floods have also affected foreign nationals from other countries, including nine South Koreans working at a hydropower plant who remain missing, and 10 others stranded. South Korea has sought permission to send search-and-rescue teams to assist Nepali authorities, but Nepal has yet to approve foreign intervention. The Nepalese government said its own teams are managing the operation, rejecting suggestions that geopolitical sensitivities concerning the border with China’s Tibet region influence decisions. A former Nepali ambassador to the United Nations speculated that such concerns could be a factor.

China’s Premier Li Qiang visited the disaster area in Gyirong, underscoring efforts to coordinate rescue operations with foreign governments. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent condolences to Nepal’s president in response to the catastrophe. The British government has pledged £5 million in aid to Nepal, while South Korea committed $1 million in humanitarian assistance.

Images from the affected areas show extensive damage along the Trishuli River, Nepalese military personnel conducting rescue missions, and families anxiously awaiting news of missing loved ones in Kathmandu. The flood crisis remains ongoing as efforts to locate survivors and assist those displaced continue.