Breaking News: Approximately 80 US citizens remain unaccounted for following devastating floods and landslides in Nepal.
A catastrophic Himalayan flood, triggered by a glacial slope failure, has claimed 903 lives in Nepal, with nearly 4,200 people still missing. The State Department confirmed that roughly 80 American citizens are among those unaccounted for, a decrease from an initial estimate of 90. Thirteen US citizens have been confirmed safe.
The disaster struck north-central Nepal when a debris flow, originating from a distant slope failure involving a glacier, travelled approximately 62 miles downstream, overwhelming populated areas. Dramatic footage showed a surge of water and debris engulfing structures. Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported over 10,000 rescues, including 323 foreign nationals. However, approximately 590 foreign nationals from 39 countries, remain missing. Twenty-two of the missing Americans were on a pilgrimage associated with the Isha Foundation and were reportedly inside a building when the flooding occurred.
The United States is providing $500,000 in assistance, channelled through Catholic Relief Services, for emergency shelter, relief supplies, and water sanitation. Neighbouring countries, including India, China, the United Kingdom, and others, are also sending aid. The U.S. Geological Survey is investigating the cause of the initial failure, considering both a landslide incorporating glacial ice and a glacial collapse, and notes that the event registered seismic activity.
“Relief and humanitarian assistance are being provided in the affected areas,” a spokesperson for Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated. “We are deeply grateful to our friends and partners for their solidarity.” The State Department has deployed a disaster response advisor to support rescue efforts.
Search and rescue operations continue, hampered by the scale of the devastation and ongoing risks of further landslides.
Sources
Fox News.
