Deadly mudslide at Nepal-China border leaves hundreds missing
Surveillance footage shows people fleeing before a mudslide hits Nepal-China border. At least 384 are reportedly missing.
Nearly two dozen people are dead and hundreds of people, including several Americans, are missing after flash flooding in the Himalayan nation of Nepal, according to the country’s tourism board.
The flash flood took place Aug. 26 about 8:30 a.m. local time in the Bhote Koshi River in the country’s northern Rasuwa district near the Tibet border, authorities said.
So far, at least 384 travelers, including 291 foreign nationals, remain missing, the Nepal Tourism Board posted on social media.
At least 22 bodies have been recovered, Reuters reported, citing a local police official.
Americans missing after flash flood in Nepal
Among the missing foreigners include at least three Americans, a dozen United Kingdom citizens and more than 100 Indians, the country’s tourism board reported.
Officials said they were working to confirm the nationalities of hundreds of other tourists who remained missing as well as their “safety status.”
Many households in Rasuwa and Nuwakot are believed to have lost their homes or suffered significant damage, while damage to bridges and roads is also making it extremely difficult to reach some affected communities, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies told USA TODAY in an email.
Nepal Red Cross teams were deploying to affected areas and have begun providing initial assistance, including water, shelter materials, blankets and first aid supplies, the agency said.
This is a developing story.
Contributing: Reuters
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.