At least 95 people have died in Nepal following flash floods and mudslides triggered by a 4.4-magnitude earthquake near the border with China, according to authorities. Hundreds of tourists are also reported missing.
The disaster struck Gyirong, Tibet, an area near China's border with Nepal, where video captured mudslides engulfing multiple buildings. The earthquake occurred just seven minutes before the mudslides, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences.
Nepal's foreign minister, Shishir Khanal, suggested that earthquakes could be the cause of the event. Authorities believe the earthquake may have caused an ice-rock avalanche that flowed into the Lhende Khola River in Nepal.
Official reports indicate at least 95 bodies have been recovered. Nepal's tourism authority stated that 484 tourists are missing, including at least three U.S. citizens. Reports suggest dozens more Americans may be unaccounted for, though the U.S. government has not released an official count.
The U.S. State Department said it is monitoring the situation closely and communicating with Nepalese authorities. A spokesperson stated that the embassy is working with local tour agencies and officials to assist Americans in the affected areas and extended condolences to those affected.
Sixty-five people are receiving medical treatment in hospitals in and around Nepal's capital, Kathmandu. Officials have warned of the potential for a second flood due to a blockage remaining on the Lhende Khola River.
China deployed 574 rescuers to Tibet's Gyirong land crossing, although reaching the site was expected to take hours. India and the European Union have offered support to Nepal and China.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed condolences to Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah and pledged humanitarian assistance. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen expressed thoughts for those affected and offered the use of Copernicus, the EU's Earth monitoring satellite program, to help map the affected areas.