Friends and relatives of Ukrainians who are considered missing following the devastating floods in Nepal and Tibet on August 26 are calling on local authorities to disclose information regarding the search efforts, as well as geolocation data from the missing persons' electronic devices provided by Apple and Garmin, PR and GR expert Alesya Didenko said.
"I am appealing to Ukrainian officials, diplomats, journalists, editors, international organizations, and anyone who can help publicize this story or facilitate obtaining information from Nepal and China," Didenko said on her Facebook page.
According to her, the last contact with the group of missing Ukrainians was on the morning of August 26, when they were crossing the Chinese border toward Nepal. So far, there is still no confirmed information from China that could help determine the group's fate and last known location, she noted. The situation is similar with regard to information from insurance companies.
Didenko said friends and relatives have tried to obtain geolocation data from the Apple and Garmin [a smartwatch manufacturer] electronic devices of the missing Ukrainians by appealing to official government agencies, but without success.
"I understand the issue of privacy. I understand the procedures, international protocols, and bureaucracy. But when it comes to an emergency and the search for missing people, there must be a mechanism for rapid cooperation between companies and authorized government agencies if the information has the potential to help save lives," she said.
At the same time, the author of the post thanked the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ukrainian diplomats, local services, volunteers, and participants in search operations for their efforts in finding the missing people.
As previously reported, flooding struck the northern regions of Nepal on August 26. According to preliminary data, the sudden flooding may have been caused by a glacial avalanche triggered by an earthquake. Glacial debris came crashing down, followed by a mudslide. As a result, torrents of water surged down the Lhende Khol River, which flows about 20 km northeast of the Nepal-China border crossing at Rasuwa Gadi.
As of September 7, the death toll from the flooding had risen to 1,355. The search for missing persons, including 56 Ukrainians, continues.
