90 Americans Missing After Nepal Floods
The United States has said around 90 American citizens remain unaccounted for in the Nepal-China border region following devastating floods that isolated several remote communities. The US State Department confirmed that five Americans have managed to reach safety in Nepal, while no deaths of US citizens have been reported so far. US embassies in Kathmandu and Beijing are coordinating with local authorities and tour and trekking operators to trace those still missing and provide assistance. Nepal-led search and rescue operations are continuing across the badly affected mountainous region.
The US Embassy in Kathmandu has increased its consular staffing and is providing round-the-clock assistance to Americans and their families. Washington has also deployed disaster response advisers to support relief efforts and offered search-and-rescue assistance to Nepal if requested. In addition, the United States is providing $500,000 through Catholic Relief Services to help affected communities with emergency shelters, food, drinking water, sanitation and other essential supplies. American citizens in affected areas have been urged to follow local emergency instructions, monitor official updates and register with the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
Authorities cautioned that confirming the status of individual Americans could take time because of the region's remoteness, damaged infrastructure and difficult terrain. Those travelling through Rasuwa and other affected areas of Nepal have been asked to contact the US Embassy in Kathmandu with their name, location, condition and tour operator details. Americans stranded in China's Gyirong County, Gyirong Port or nearby areas have similarly been advised to contact the US Embassy in Beijing when safe. Rasuwa, a mountainous district north of Kathmandu, and China's Gyirong region form a strategically important but difficult-to-access cross-border corridor used by residents, traders, tourists and trekking groups, making rescue and communication efforts particularly challenging.
