HEADLINES

Pinoy doc among Nepal’s missing

Raffy Ayeng · Aug 29, 2026, 12:21 AM

FILIPINO doctor Juan Carlos Manalo has been reported missing following the massive flash floods that struck near the Nepal-China border on 26 August. Manalo was traveling with a pilgrimage group whose last known location was the immigration office in Gyirong, on the Tibetan side of the border. His family has appealed for information on his whereabouts as authorities continue search and rescue efforts. — CONTRIBUTED photo

The Nepal Department of Tourism has identified the lone Filipino reported missing following the deadly flash floods and mudslide that wiped out entire communities on Wednesday.

The Nepali government identified the Filipino as Dr. Juan Carlos Manalo, a member of a trekkers group.

In a separate Facebook post, Chiara Manalo, who identified herself as a younger sister, appealed for help in locating her brother.

In her post, Chiara said Juan Carlos “has been missing and out of contact since the flash flood at the Nepal border” on 26 August. His last contact with the family was at 1:21 p.m. Philippine time (11:06 a.m. Nepal time) on 25 August.

“He was traveling with the Isha Sadghuru group on their Kailashyatra tour. The group’s last known whereabouts was at the Immigration Office at Gyirong,” she said.

At this writing, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi and the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Kathmandu, Nepal, were coordinating with local authorities and stood ready to assist affected Filipinos.

“They are awaiting confirmation from Nepali authorities on a Filipino national who was reported missing,” the DFA statement read.

Nepal Police on Friday morning said the death toll had risen to 469, as rescuers recovered more bodies amid the debris, according to a report by the Associated Press (AP).

China, on the other hand, has not updated its report of just three deaths in Tibet. Together, the two countries had said that more than 1,500 people were missing, the AP report said.

So far, more than 1,400 people have been reported missing and 392 were confirmed dead after the flash floods and landslides that hit the Nepal-Tibet border. The figures are likely to change, however, as is common after a major disaster.

Double-counting of dual nationals, matching bodies with persons listed as missing, and the chaos of a calamity can all contribute to fluctuations both upwards and downwards in the figures.

517 foreigners unaccounted for

Here is the latest on the missing.

Nepal’s disaster agency said 910 people were unaccounted for on Thursday, including at least 517 foreigners. It did not provide a breakdown of the foreigners’ nationalities.

Across the border with Tibet, China said 558 people, including 260 foreigners, were missing. Together, the total missing on both sides of the border was at 1,468.

Nepal’s tourism board on Thursday put the number of missing tourists and travelers, Nepali and foreigners, at 667 in total.