KATHMANDU — Over 1,300 people remain missing, including at least 700 foreign nationals, after catastrophic flash flooding struck the Nepal-China border region on Wednesday. The death toll in Nepal has climbed to more than 350 people.
The U.S. Geological Survey identified a glacial collapse as the cause of the disaster. Torrents of water hit the mountainous area, submerging entire villages and destroying bridges, according to dramatic footage.
Search and rescue operations are severely hampered by a widespread lack of connectivity, power and essential resources in the affected areas. Extensive damage has been reported in Nepal's Nuwakot district, including a partially destroyed suspension bridge.
China's state media reported that landslides have created a new lake, significantly increasing the risk of further landslides, mudslides and flash floods. Three days of rain are forecast, with collapsed earth forming unstable dams that pose ongoing threats.
Among the missing are Rashi Shashidharan, a 14-year-old from New York, and her mother, Rekha Shashidharan, 54. They have been unaccounted for since Wednesday. Rashi's uncle, Shekhar Agrawal, an Indian national, last spoke to them just over an hour before the floods struck.
Several dozen American nationals have been reported missing in the disaster. Italian authorities have successfully contacted 130 of their nationals who were previously unaccounted for, Italy's foreign ministry said.
The Nepal Tourism Board confirmed the rescue of 31 tourists in the flood-stricken Rasuwa district. Those rescued include two U.S. nationals, 11 Indian nationals, four South Koreans, two Italians, two Russians, one Bulgarian and one Swiss national.
"All efforts are underway to rescue and evacuate the injured and stranded people," the Nepal Tourism Board said in a statement. The Nepalese Ministry of Home Affairs warned of likely heavy casualties in the areas of Timure, Syabrubesi and Betrawati.
Families are anxiously awaiting news at Kathmandu's TU Teaching Hospital. Ram Khumari Shrestha's husband, a driver en route to Rasuwa, was in contact until Tuesday evening but his phone has been off since Wednesday morning. Mani Shrestha Bishwa is also at the hospital, seeking information about his younger brother, cousin, uncle and a friend.
