• Flooding in Nepal
  • Hundreds remain unaccounted for
  • Americans are among the missing

A devastating flash flood struck northern Nepal on Wednesday, leaving dozens dead and hundreds missing, including U.S. citizens.

The emergency began at around 8:30 a.m. local time, when a violent surge of the Bhote Koshi River swept through the Rasuwa district near the border with Tibet.

Initial reports from the Nepal Tourism Board listed 384 travelers as unaccounted for: 291 foreigners and 93 Nepalese citizens. The figure was considered preliminary.

Among them were initially three American tourists linked to Fishtail Tours and Travel, a company that confirmed the travelers were part of its groups.

Number of Americans Missing in Nepal Floods Rises

Americans missing in Nepal floods
Americans missing in Nepal floods – Photo: EFE Agency

However, the scale of the tragedy continued to grow as search operations progressed and authorities received new reports from affected areas.

A later update from the Nepal Tourism Board raised the number of people unaccounted for to 403, including 341 foreigners and 33 Americans, according to CBS News.

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The same report put the death toll at at least 95, while emergency crews continued searching for survivors in communities hit by water, mud and debris.

The floods destroyed homes and damaged roads, bridges and power projects, making overland access to several northern communities more difficult.

What Caused the Devastating Flood?

Initial investigations suggest that a massive movement of snow, rocks and earth near the Nepal-China border may have altered the river’s course and triggered the flooding.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded seismic activity equivalent to a magnitude 5.2 in the region on Wednesday morning.

The disaster also left travelers from multiple countries out of contact. Initial records included citizens of India, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, South Africa, Australia and the Netherlands, according to Fox Weather, BBC and CBS News.

Authorities continue search operations while verifying traveler lists. Because this is a developing emergency, the number of dead and missing may continue to change.