Israeli Woman Missing in Nepal Flood; Death Toll at 734

Israel's Foreign Ministry confirmed Monday afternoon that a second Israeli citizen is missing following the catastrophic flash flood that struck Nepal last week. Simultaneously, search efforts continue for another Israeli man in his 60s who disappeared in the affected region.

The confirmation comes as the death toll from the disaster continues to rise hourly. According to the latest update from Nepal's disaster management authority, 734 people have been confirmed dead, with approximately 2,500 others still missing.

"The Israeli consulate in Kathmandu and the Foreign Ministry's Division for Israelis in Distress Abroad are in continuous contact with her family and are working with local authorities and agencies in efforts to locate her," the Foreign Ministry stated.

The missing Israeli woman has been identified as Katrina Sakovich, 41, who resides in Milan rather than Israel. She also holds a Belarusian passport and had previously been registered only as a Belarusian citizen. She was last seen on the day of the disaster in an area struck by the massive torrent. According to Israeli media reports, her family has requested the Foreign Ministry's assistance in coordinating search operations with Nepali authorities. Her sister is expected to travel to Nepal tomorrow to participate in the search efforts.

The disaster occurred last week in the border region between Nepal and Tibet, China, when a massive glacier collapse and enormous rockslide created a powerful surge of water and mud. The deadly flash flood swept away entire villages, infrastructure, and hundreds of people.

According to reports, between four and five villages were completely obliterated, buried beneath heavy layers of mud. Additionally, approximately 28 buses disappeared in the affected area, and hundreds of tourists from various countries are listed as missing.

Nepal's government has declared a state of emergency and is conducting extensive rescue operations using helicopters, security forces, and local residents. Nepali Prime Minister Balanendra Shah described the event as "an unexpected lightning strike of natural disaster" and emphasized that the government "has mobilized all its forces and mechanisms for thousands of rescue operations without delay."

Relief teams on the ground describe widespread devastation along the flood's path. David Fisher, head of the Red Cross delegation in Nepal, reported that "entire villages and market areas were completely wiped out" by the force of the water and mud.

Among the survivors is Bibek Komal, a 24-year-old Nepali worker who managed to survive by clinging to a mango tree for hours. "The water rose and it was difficult to move my legs," Komal recounted. "If there hadn't been that mango tree, I would have been swept away to my death."

Another worker trapped in a hydroelectric tunnel, Ram Chandra, described the terrifying moments: "The water rose and it was difficult to move my legs. If I had let go of the rung on the ladder I was holding, I would have fallen to my death." He and his group were forced to cling to ladder rungs on the ceiling for six hours before they managed to reach the tunnel opening.

More than 900 workers at hydroelectric power plants in the region are listed as missing. So far, approximately 279 workers have been rescued or managed to escape on their own, but grave concerns remain for the fate of the rest.

Among the missing tourists are citizens from Nepal, India, Britain, South Africa, Australia, and the Netherlands. Emergency authorities have issued urgent warnings to communities downstream as far as Chitwan district, which borders India, amid concerns about continued rising water levels and danger to additional areas.