At least 168 people have been confirmed dead following massive flash floods that swept through the Nepal-Tibet border region on Wednesday, according to emergency authorities in Nepal and China. As of Thursday morning, more than 1,300 individuals remained missing.
In Nepal, search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with authorities reporting at least 165 bodies recovered. The Nepal National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority stated that 826 people are still out of contact, including 579 tourists. Among the missing tourists are 476 foreign nationals and 114 Nepali citizens.
Across the border in China's Tibet region, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported three confirmed deaths and 558 people missing, citing local officials. The number of missing fluctuated as recovery efforts intensified.
The Nepal Tourism Board announced that 65 Americans are among those unaccounted for. The U.S. State Department confirmed that the number of Americans impacted or missing varied throughout Wednesday. The department expressed its condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and stated it is closely monitoring the situation. A disaster response advisor is being deployed to the region, and the U.S. will provide $500,000 in assistance for emergency shelter, relief items, and water, sanitation, and hygiene support.
The flooding occurred around 8:40 a.m. local time on Wednesday in the northern Rasuwa district, near the border with Tibet. The deluge inundated areas along the Trishuli River, burying some structures and damaging bridges and roadways. Dramatic video footage captured the extent of the flooding.
Nepal's office of the prime minister issued a statement expressing deep sorrow over the loss of life and extended condolences to the affected families. Search and rescue operations by the Nepali Army are continuing through the night.
An Indian spiritual leader, known as Sadhguru, reported that 77 people on tours organized by his Isha Foundation were at an immigration center at the Nepal-Tibet border when the floods hit. The Isha Foundation confirmed that 22 of these individuals were American citizens. The organization, which has a base in McMinnville, Tennessee, has been in contact with the families of those affected in the U.S.
Three American nationals traveling with a Nepali company called Fishtail Tours and Travel are also among the missing tourists.
The flood was reportedly triggered by a landslide approximately 12 miles northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border post. The U.S. Geological Survey registered a 5.2-magnitude landslide in Nepal on Wednesday, which was initially misreported as a 4.4-magnitude earthquake. The specific cause of the landslide remains unclear, but geophysicists suggest it may have dislodged a glacier in the mountain pass.