European Union says 1,000 citizens unaccounted for after Nepal earthquake

Kathmandu: One thousand people from the European Union, mostly tourists, are missing in Nepal nearly a week after a devastating earthquake, the head of the EU delegation here said on Friday.

Twelve EU citizens have been confirmed dead in Nepal after the earthquake, said Ambassador Rensje Teerink.

"We don't know where they are, or they could be," Ms Teerink told reporters, adding that those unaccounted for were mostly tourists in the Langtang and Lukla areas.

Langtang is a trekking region to the north of Kathmandu that has been hit by a huge avalanche and mudslides, while Lukla is the jumping off point for walkers and climbers making the nine-day trek to Everest base camp.

Most were trekking in the remote Langtang mountain range near the epicentre or in the Everest region, Rensje Teerink told journalists in Kathmandu.