Hundreds missing, including 47 Americans, in deadly Nepal floods, local officials say

Serious flash flooding in Nepal on Wednesday morning has left over a hundred reported dead and hundreds more missing, including at least 47 American tourists, Nepali officials said, after a massive wall of water tore through a region on the Nepal-Tibet border.

The flooding, captured in dramatic video footage, occurred in the northern Rasuwa district, along the border with Tibet, at around 8:40 a.m. local time on Wednesday, authorities said, inundating coastal areas along the Trishuli River, burying some buildings and damaging bridges and roadways.

In a statement, Nepal’s office of the prime minister expressed “deep sorrow” over the loss of life. “Offering heartfelt tribute to all those who lost their lives in this natural disaster, it extends its sincere condolences to the bereaved families and relatives,” the statement shared on social media said.

The prime minister’s office later said search and rescue operations carried out by the Nepali Army would continue through the night.

Nepali police said 162 were killed in the flood-affected areas, while Chinese state-run media Xinhua News Agency reported three dead. Authorities said the identification process is ongoing.

At least 403 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali tourists are reported missing, according to the Prime Minister’s Office of Nepal. Chinese media reported 265 missing.

The Nepali Tourism Board reported that the missing includes at least 47 American tourists who have been out of contact since floods hit the Rasuwa region.

The State Department said the number of Americans among the missing and otherwise impacted by the floods has fluctuated throughout the day, and that officials don't yet have an accurate figure. 

“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,” a department spokesperson said in a statement issued later Wednesday.

The spokesperson said the State Department is “closely monitoring the situation and is deploying a disaster response advisor 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.”

An influential Indian spiritual guru and entrepreneur known as Sadhguru said in a post on social media that 77 people who were on tours organized by his Isha Foundation were at an immigration center at the Nepal-Tibet border when the floodwaters came rushing in. Isha Foundation has confirmed to ABC News that 22 of the 77 people are Americans. 

Many of them were traveling to or from Mount Kailash, a Himalayan peak near the border between Nepal and Tibet, an autonomous region of China. Mount Kailash, which is part of a Hindu pilgrimage called the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, is revered by many Hindus as the spiritual home of the god Shiva.

The Isha Foundation, which is headquartered in India, also has a base in McMinnville, Tennessee. The group’s coordinator told ABC News the group has been in touch with family members in the U.S.

Three of the missing Americans were listed as traveling with a Nepali company called Fishtail Tours and Travel. The agency confirmed to ABC News that three American nationals are among the missing tourists traveling with them.

Efforts to locate and rescue the missing tourists are ongoing, the company said, without providing any further information on their possible whereabouts or well-being. 

The Nepal Tourism Board said that local tourism and law enforcement authorities were “working to verify the whereabouts and safety status of tourists and travelers who were in or traveling through the affected areas.”

Nepali authorities have mobilized 656 police personnel to respond as of 7:30 p.m. local time, according to police.

The flood was reportedly triggered by a landslide about 20 kilometers northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border post along the Nepal-China border, according to Nepal Disaster Management.

A 5.2-magnitude landslide impacted Nepal on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The seismic activity from the landslide was initially erroneously reported as a 4.4-magnitude earthquake, the agency said. It is unclear what triggered the landslide.

A geophysicist at New York’s Columbia University told ABC News it appeared a landslide in the Himalayas took away a large glacier or parts of a glacier in the mountain pass.

The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu said in posts to X that it was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life and devastation” caused by the flooding. “We are closely tracking developments and remain in close contact with Nepali authorities,” the embassy said.

Also among the foreign nationals listed as missing in the Tourism Board’s preliminary count were Indian, Malaysian, British, South African, Dutch and Australian tourists.

Three army helicopters attempted to fly in to conduct relief operations Wednesday but had to turn back due to bad weather between Kathmandu, Nepal and the flooded areas, Sunil Sharma, spokesperson at Nepal Tourism Board, told ABC News.

Authorities are working to identify victims and conduct rescue efforts, and they hope rescue flights can resume tomorrow if the weather improves, Sharma said.

ABC News’ Desiree Adib, Somayeh Malekian, Charlotte Gardiner and Shannon Kingston contributed to this report.