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NaturePolitics197 words2 min read

Dozens of US and Canadian Citizens Missing After Nepal Floods

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Listen to the story

Flash flooding in Nepal has left dozens of United States and Canadian citizens missing, officials say.

A flash flood is a sudden and fast flood, usually caused by heavy rain in a short time.

These missing citizens are part of a much larger group. Hundreds of people are still unaccounted for after the disaster.

The authorities in both the US and Canada say they are closely monitoring the situation.

This means officials are watching events carefully and staying in contact to get more information.

So far, there are no confirmed details about the exact number of missing citizens from each country.

A disaster like this can affect many people at once, including both local residents and foreign visitors.

Nepal is a popular destination for tourists, especially those interested in hiking and mountains. This may explain why foreign citizens were in the area.

Governments often send help or send officials to check on their citizens after events like this. It is not yet clear what actions the US and Canada will take next.

Families of the missing people are likely waiting anxiously for updates. As search efforts continue, more information may become available in the coming days.

Vocabulary10 words

flash flood
a sudden, fast flood usually caused by heavy rain
unaccounted for
when it is not known where someone is
authorities
official people or groups with power, like a government
monitoring
watching something carefully over a period of time
disaster
a sudden bad event that causes a lot of damage
tourists
people who travel to visit a place for pleasure
citizens
people who legally belong to a country
search efforts
activities done to find missing people
confirmed
officially said to be true
residents
people who live in a place

Quiz

1. What has caused people to go missing in Nepal?
2. How many people in total are still unaccounted for?
3. What are the US and Canadian authorities doing, according to the article?

Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

Flash flooding in Nepal has left _____ of United States and Canadian citizens missing, officials say.

A flash flood is a sudden and fast flood, usually caused by heavy _____ in a short time.

These missing citizens are part of a much larger group. Hundreds of people are still _____ after the disaster.

The authorities in both the US and Canada say they are closely _____ the situation.

This means officials are watching events _____ and staying in contact to get more information.

So far, there are no confirmed details about the exact _____ of missing citizens from each country.

A disaster like this can affect many people at once, including both local residents and foreign _____.

Nepal is a popular destination for tourists, especially those interested in hiking and _____.

Governments often send help or send officials to check on their citizens after events like this.

As _____ efforts continue, more information may become available in the coming days.

Discussion questions

  1. Why do you think foreign tourists were affected by the flooding in Nepal?
  2. What should governments do when their citizens go missing abroad during a disaster?
  3. How do you think families of missing people feel while waiting for news?
  4. Why is it important for authorities to closely monitor situations like this?

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