RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Nepal authorities have warned of possible flooding throughout Sunday morning, as the Nepal Tourist Department shows a list of 64 Americans who are currently out of contact.
Residents in flood-affected districts have been urged to remain on high alert, after water levels in the Bhotekoshi River rose.
People received flood warnings on their phones throughout Sunday morning. Rescue crews are working to clear a major highway connecting Kathmandu to one of the areas that were worst hit by the catastrophic floods on Wednesday.
According to the latest information from Nepalese authorities, the combined death toll in Nepal and Tibet has risen to over 750, and more than 3,000 people are missing .
U.S. authorities said on Thursday that about 90 U.S. citizens were unaccounted for as of Thursday afternoon.
A list published by Nepal’s tourist department shows 64 Americans currently out of contact.
The list of those missing includes hundreds of people who were in the region to work, make a pilgrimage to a sacred peak or visit Nepal’s mountains.
Chinese state media said on Sunday that 261 foreigners were missing in Tibet.
The flash floods on Wednesday began after a glacial collapse in the Himalayan region.
The disaster unfolded after 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 ensuing flood tore through villages, roads and hydropower projects in the Rasuwa district. The flooding then reached the Chinese side of the border.
The Rasuwa district experienced similar flooding in August of 2025. Then, a glacial lake in Tibet, the neighboring area, overflowed amid high temperatures in the mountain region.
Nine people were killed, and critical infrastructure was damaged, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China.
The Himalayan region is especially vulnerable to floods, heavy rainfall and landslides as it is warming faster than the rest of the world as a result of human-caused climate change.
Research by the Kathmandu-based organization International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development found that glacier ice loss across the vast mountainous Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region has doubled since 2000, mainly because of rising global temperatures.
The HKH includes the 500-mile Hindu Kush system in Afghanistan and its ranges stretch approximately 2,175 miles across eight countries in Central and South Asia, including Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Bangladesh and Myanmar, making it one of the most extensive and significant mountain systems in the world.
The aftermath of the flooding has been devastating, and the uncertainty has been agonizing for families.
Jigisha Motwani, a Long Island resident whose family has known missing travelers Jitendra Patel and Amita Amin for decades, previously told Newsweek she was "gutted" when she learned they were among those unaccounted for.
Motwani said they are like an extended family. "I hope we can find a way to get in touch with them and bring them back," she said.
Manmeet Singh Meet, a close friend of Jiwan Jyoti, a Lexington resident listed as out of contact, told Newsweek he has known her for more than 15 years and is helping support her family as loved ones search for answers.
"It’s very heartbreaking," he said. "We are trying to get closure, to be very honest with you."
Authorities have yet to confirm whether those listed as out of contact are confirmed missing, injured, stranded or otherwise unable to communicate because of the disaster.
The State Department said in a press release published on Wednesday: "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 department noted that it is monitoring the situation and has deployed a disaster response adviser to the region.
The State Department has provided $500,000 in assistance through the Catholic Relief Services.
Newsweek has contacted the State Department for further information outside of regular working hours.
While speaking to reporters on Thursday in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump said: "We’ve offered any help that they need.
"That was brutal. Nobody’s ever seen anything quite like that. Strong, well-built buildings were wiped out like they were toothpicks. It's a terrible thing. We are sending aid, and we've spoken to leadership, and we let them know anything they want will happen."
The president added that he didn't have a "full list" of the Americans who were in Nepal at the time.
"Hopefully they're OK, but that looked like something where somebody will be lost, unfortunately," he said.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Trevor Davies
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