Nepal Flood Update: Missing Toll Surpasses 1,000 After Devastating Glacial Collapse

More than 1,000 people are missing, including at least 700 foreigners, after a glacial collapse triggered catastrophic flash floods across northern Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday. Rescue teams deployed helicopters to assist the search for survivors and dropped emergency supplies to thousands of people trapped in towns and valleys following the disaster. The official death toll has climbed to 359, but Nepalese police said previously they expected it to increase further. “This will go up, as we have resumed the search and more bodies are expected to be recovered,” Nepal's police spokesman Abi Narayan Kafle told Reuters. The missing tourists are from more than two dozen countries, including the United States, India, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada, Reuters reported. At least 65 Americans have been reported missing. When reached for comment, the White House referred Newsweek to a press release from the U.S. Department of State that addressed the missing Americans. “The United States extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the devastating flash floods in the Rasuwa district of Nepal. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster,” the press release said. “The State Department is closely monitoring the situation and is deploying a disaster response adviser to the region to support response efforts. The Department will also provide $500,000 in assistance through its global award with Catholic Relief Services, supporting emergency shelter, relief items, and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance to flood-affected communities.” Newsweek reached out to the U.S. embassy in Nepal for comment. On Wednesday, a towering surge of muddy water roared through the Himalayan border crossing at Gyirong Port. Surveillance footage from the Resuo Bridge captured people running for safety as a brown torrent of mud, rock and water barreled down the canyon from the Nepalese side of the border, swallowing buildings at the port. Satellite footage released following the disaster showed floodwaters sweeping through the Bhote Koshi–Trishuli river corridor, across the China-Nepal border. A lake has subsequently formed due to the blockage of the river where the flood occurred, and it is at risk of bursting on Thursday, Nepal's disaster agency said. The U.S. State Department said it was aware of Americans affected by the disaster. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X: “We express our solidarity and are united in prayer for the Nepali people following the devastating floods. @StateDept stands ready to support the Government of Nepal with needed humanitarian assistance.” The U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs said on X Wednesday night: “Americans in areas affected by the recent flash flooding in Nepal should follow the latest guidance from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu. @StateDept is assisting Americans 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444. Family and friends in the United States who are concerned about American loved ones in Nepal can call us toll free at +1-888-407-4747.” The disaster began when an avalanche of ice and rock blocked a river, then unleashed a sudden surge downstream, according to officials and climate experts cited by the Associated Press. The flooding tore through villages, roads and hydropower projects in Nepal’s Rasuwa district before reaching the Chinese side of the border. “We have asked both India and China to help us with the rescue efforts,” Sasmit Pokharel, a spokesperson for the Nepalese government, told the AP. Rasuwa district experienced similar flooding in August 2025, when a glacial lake in neighboring Tibet overflowed amid high temperatures in the mountain region. Nine people were killed and critical infrastructure, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China, was damaged. What Triggered the Flash Flood? An avalanche of ice and rock from a glacier on the Nepalese side of the border likely blocked the Lhende Khola River before releasing a sudden surge downstream, according to climate experts at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. “The Lhende Khola has flooded twice in 14 months, this time triggered by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side that blocked the river and released a sudden surge downstream,” Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at the organization, said. Sanyal said the disaster underlined the growing need for warning systems in a region increasingly exposed to climate-related hazards. “In a warming Himalaya, early warning is the first line of adaptation,” he added. The Himalayan region is particularly vulnerable to floods, landslides and heavy rainfall because it is warming faster than the rest of the world due to human-caused climate change. Research by the Kathmandu-based organization found that glacier ice loss across the Hindu Kush Himalaya has doubled since 2000, mainly because of rising global temperatures. China’s Response to Flash Flood Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered “all-out efforts” to find people missing after the mudslide caused casualties at Gyirong Port, according to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency. Xi called for residents at risk to be evacuated and injured people to receive timely medical treatment. He also instructed officials to strengthen monitoring and early-warning systems, conduct rescue operations carefully and guard against secondary disasters. Chinese Premier Li Qiang ordered authorities to verify the number of missing and affected people and directed the Foreign Ministry to coordinate with other countries and share information. Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing traveled to the affected area to oversee rescue and disaster-response operations, Xinhua reported. A total of 145 officers and soldiers from the Xigaze detachment of the People’s Armed Police were dispatched to Gyirong Port, according to the state-run Global Times, which cited the force’s Xizang Corps. The outlet reported that drone footage showed buildings at the port buried by debris. China’s Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Emergency Management allocated 120 million yuan, about $17.9 million, to support rescue and relief operations following the disaster, state broadcaster CGTN reported. This article contains reporting by the Associated Press.