Catastrophic flash floods and mudslides in Nepal have claimed at least 675 lives, with nearly 2,500 people still reported missing. The disaster, triggered Wednesday by a massive glacial collapse near the Tibet border, has affected over 90,000 people and destroyed critical infrastructure, including homes and bridges. Among the missing are 589 foreign nationals, including approximately 100 Americans, while more than 7,500 individuals have been rescued.
Rescue operations remain hampered by damaged roads, power outages, and difficult terrain, though helicopters have resumed aid delivery and survivor transport as weather conditions permit. Chinese authorities have also reported seven deaths and 554 missing in the Tibet region. Identification efforts are underway at hospitals in Pokhara, where police are using digital displays to help families identify victims due to the advanced state of some recovered bodies.
International support is mobilizing, with the World Bank, India, China, and the U.S. pledging $229 million in aid, alongside $2 million from the United Nations. Nepal’s Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle estimated that the country may require between $4 billion and $5 billion for reconstruction. The U.S. State Department continues to coordinate with families seeking information on missing citizens.
