Nepal Floods: Death Toll Rises, Hundreds Missing Including 65 Americans
POLICY WIRE — Kathmandu, Nepal — The death toll from the catastrophic floods in Nepal has climbed to at least 353, with over 1,000 individuals still unaccounted for, including 65 Americans. The...
POLICY WIRE — Kathmandu, Nepal — The death toll from the catastrophic floods in Nepal has climbed to at least 353, with over 1,000 individuals still unaccounted for, including 65 Americans.
The National Emergency Operation Center reported that the missing persons consist of 113 Nepali tourists, 85 security personnel, and 161 residents. Rescue operations are concentrated in the severely affected districts of Nuwakot and Rasuwa.
Chinese state media CCTV indicated that 558 people are missing in Tibet, with 260 being foreigners. Two villagers were rescued, and three deaths have been confirmed.
The tourism board announced the rescue of 27 foreign nationals from the flood-ravaged Rasuwa district, among them two U.S. citizens in their 50s.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio conveyed U.S. support for Nepal, pledging humanitarian assistance. The U.S. Embassy in Nepal extended condolences and is working to locate affected U.S. citizens.
The U.S. State Department is closely observing the situation, dispatching an adviser and providing a $500,000 grant to Catholic Relief Services.
Flash floods have obliterated villages, destroying homes, roads, bridges, and power plants. Drone footage revealed extensive damage, with roads and buildings buried under torrents of muddy water.
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The Nepalese army has rescued over 100 people via helicopter, including eight foreign nationals airlifted to Kathmandu. Bodies were discovered 62 miles downstream, and dozens of injured individuals have been transported to the capital for treatment.
In Tibet, a mudslide near Gyirong Port has left areas buried under several feet of mud, with communication lines cut. A barrier lake has been identified, complicating rescue efforts.
The U.S. Geological Survey attributed the disaster to a magnitude 5.2 glacial collapse rather than an earthquake, based on seismic data and satellite imagery.
Climate experts suggest that an avalanche from a glacier likely caused the flash flood, highlighting the increasing instability of the Himalayan ice system due to climate change.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
