In Nepal, the death toll from flash floods and mudslides has risen to at least 626 as of Saturday. More than 2,400 individuals remain missing, including approximately 90 Americans. Rescuers are grappling with impediments in reaching the hardest-hit areas near the Nepal-Tibet border, four days after the deluge swept through the Himalayan valleys, demolishing homes and infrastructure.
Efforts to locate missing family members are hindered by road damage, power outages, and concerns about further flooding. In China, seven deaths and 554 missing persons have been reported in Tibet, with many foreigners among them. The connection between the counts in both countries is unclear.
The disaster originated on Wednesday, when a massive chunk of ice and rock, significantly larger than the Empire State Building, detached from a mountain, triggering floods. Videos from impacted border regions revealed debris engulfing buildings and vehicles, wrecking towns, severing roads, power, and communications. The collapse of a melting glacier caused ground shaking that registered as a magnitude-4.4 earthquake.
The U.S. State Department has not confirmed any American deaths yet but highlights the uncertainty due to the number of U.S. citizens unaccounted for. Among those missing are Texans Raghu Rajan and Archana Suresh, last detected near a destroyed bridge. Families, like Divya Chandrashekar’s, hope for the safe return of their relatives.
Deepak and Madhu Ahuja from Plano, Texas were also in the region for a pilgrimage. Their family clings to hope that they survived. “My first reaction was, ‘That cannot be true,’” Deepak’s brother Sushil Ahuja said.
The State Department encourages U.S. citizens in affected areas to reach out via [email protected]. Relatives seeking information should call 1-888-407-4747 from the U.S. and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 internationally.
Helicopters resumed operations in Nepal’s Nuwakot district after a weather delay. They carried aid, such as clothes and food, and transported survivors, including babies from Trishuli.
Bodies recovered near the Trishuli and Narayani rivers have been taken to Pokhara for identification. At Western Regional Hospital, families waited outside the morgue to identify loved ones, with digital displays showing photographs of some victims.
Rescuers are working tirelessly despite tough conditions. Lila Pieters Yahia, a U.N. official, stated that the government has established a relief fund. The World Bank, India, China, and the U.S. have pledged $229 million, while the U.N. contributed $2 million for immediate aid.
Nepal’s finance minister Swarnim Wagle estimates the rebuilding cost could be $4 billion to $5 billion.