At least 157 people have been killed in devastating flash floods that tore through parts of Nepal near the China border, while hundreds remain missing in a rapidly unfolding disaster that has also left dozens of foreign nationals unaccounted for, including at least 47 Americans.
The flooding struck communities along the Bhote Koshi River and surrounding mountain valleys, sending powerful torrents of water, mud and debris through villages and destroying homes, bridges and roads as residents and travelers struggled to reach higher ground before the floodwaters swept through the area.
Nepalese authorities said the death toll had reached 157, with at least 41 people hospitalized, while search and rescue teams continued looking for hundreds of people whose whereabouts remained unknown as communications and access to several affected areas were severely disrupted.
The disaster has drawn particular attention in the United States because at least 47 Americans are among the people reported missing in Nepal, according to figures cited by the Associated Press from Nepal Tourism Board spokesperson Sunil Sharma.
The U.S. State Department said it was aware of Americans affected by the flooding and was closely monitoring developments, while the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu was working with local authorities and tour operators to assist American citizens in the affected areas.
The missing foreign nationals include travelers from several other countries, with Nepalese officials reporting at least 133 Indians missing from a group traveling toward the Mount Kailash pilgrimage area, while officials have also reported missing citizens from Italy, Ukraine, South Korea, Britain, Canada, Russia and Portugal.
The affected region is a major pilgrimage and trekking route, particularly for travelers heading toward Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet, while Gosaikunda Lake in Nepal’s Rasuwa district is also an important religious destination that attracts visitors during this time of year.
The flooding also overwhelmed the Gyirong border crossing between China and Nepal, where Chinese state media reported three deaths and more than 250 people missing after mud and floodwater swept through the area in Tibet’s Gyirong County.
Video footage from the border crossing showed a rapidly advancing wall of muddy water overwhelming buildings and surrounding areas, while other verified footage from Nepal showed people scrambling up hillsides as floodwaters moved through villages along the river.
The scale of the destruction has made rescue operations particularly difficult, with roads blocked by mud and debris and helicopters facing challenges reaching some locations because of dangerous conditions and high floodwaters.
Nepal’s government deployed 1,697 personnel for search and rescue operations and placed another 656 personnel on standby, while military and civilian helicopters evacuated stranded residents and additional survivors were reached by ground rescue teams.
Nepalese police have also deployed specialized search teams, including dogs and drones, while authorities warned residents and visitors to stay away from rivers, streams, flooded areas and other locations considered dangerous as rescue operations continued.
Officials initially considered the possibility that an earthquake had triggered the disaster, but the U.S. Geological Survey later determined that the seismic activity detected in the area was generated by a powerful landslide rather than an earthquake.
Scientists are now examining whether a large section of glacier ice broke away and fell into the mountain valley, potentially combining with a landslide and waterlogged sediment to produce the enormous surge that moved downstream into Nepal.
Researchers have cautioned that the precise chain of events may take weeks to establish, with scientists relying on satellite imagery and other evidence to determine whether the collapse of ice, rock and debris blocked a river before the resulting buildup of water broke through with devastating force.
The flooding has caused extensive infrastructure damage, with early government estimates indicating that roads and bridges worth more than 15 billion Nepalese rupees, equivalent to roughly $98 million, were damaged across affected areas.
International assistance is already being mobilized as governments and humanitarian organizations respond to the disaster, with India sending 10 metric tons of humanitarian supplies and essential medicines to Nepal and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies providing $1.2 million in emergency funding.
The World Health Organization has also dispatched emergency medical supplies, including medicines and multipurpose tents, while the European Union has activated its Copernicus satellite service and said additional assistance could be mobilized as the situation develops.
The United States, Britain, Canada, India and other governments have expressed support for Nepal, while diplomatic officials continue working with authorities to identify missing nationals and assist survivors caught in one of the region’s most serious recent flooding disasters.
With hundreds of people still unaccounted for and the death toll expected to rise, Nepalese rescue teams are continuing operations across damaged communities while authorities assess the full scale of destruction and work to restore access to areas isolated by collapsed roads and bridges.