Catastrophic flash flooding in Nepal Wednesday killed 160 people and left hundreds more missing — including over 50 Americans — as harrowing footage shows a massive surge of water descending from the mountains, sending dozens of terrified people running for their lives.
The flooding is believed to have been caused by a wall of mud and rock that collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border between Nepal and China-controlled Tibet.
At least 157 people were killed on the Nepali side and over 300 travelers are missing — including 54 Americans, officials said.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has urged an “all-out” search effort after state media confirmed three people died in the landslide and 265 were still missing, and reported there had been “significant” casualties in Gyirong at Tibet’s border with Nepal.
Nepal’s foreign minister Shisir Khanal told the country’s parliament Wednesday initial reports suggested the floods may have been the result of an avalanche triggered by an earthquake.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported recording a 4.4 magnitude quake around the time the security footage was taken at the border.
However, USGS hours later clarified that the trembling detected was not an earthquake, but caused by the landslide itself, registering as the equivalent of a 5.2 magnitude quake.
The powerful torrent of water and debris swept away homes, roads and businesses in Nepal, while Tibetan officials said they feared “major casualties” in the wake of the calamity, according to reports in local media.
At least 391 foreign nationals were reported missing from the region, including 54 from the United States, 142 from India on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, 34 from Australia, 33 from the United Kingdom and 24 from Canada, according to Nepal’s tourism board.
Of the missing Americans, three were listed as traveling with the Nepali Fishtail Tours and Travel Tourism Agency, the company said.
South Korea’s foreign ministry said at least nine of its citizens were missing — all of them employees of two energy companies building a hydroelectric plant along Nepal’s Trishuli River.
The US Embassy said it was “deeply saddened” by the death toll and urged US citizens in the affected regions to avoid low-lying areas, seek higher ground and follow local instructions.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster,” the embassy posted on X.
A State Department spokesperson said the federal agency “is aware of Americans impacted by floods in Nepal and is closely tracking the situation.”
However the spokesperson did not offer details about the number of missing US citizens or their conditions.
In the immediate aftermath of the flash-flooding, countries and aid organizations around the world have sprung into action to offer support.
India is sending 10 metric tons of humanitarian supplies and “essential medicines” to the country, India’s external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on X.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it would send $1.2 in emergency funding to the Nepal Red Cross.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe is also gearing up to send assistance to the region.
“My thoughts are with all those affected, especially the families who have lost loved ones or are still waiting for news. We also share a thought for the brave first responders,” she wrote on X.
“We stand ready to mobilise further European assistance,” she added, noting that the EU’s satellite service, Copernicus, had been “activated to help map the affected areas in Nepal and support the response on the ground.”
