Nepal flood death toll rises as rescuers race to reach nearly 2,500 missing

Nepal flood death toll rises as rescuers race to reach nearly 2,500 missing

The death toll from catastrophic flash floods and mudslides in Nepal has risen to at least 734, while nearly 2,500 people remain missing, according to reporting from NBC News based on Nepali authorities and international agencies.

The scale of the disaster has become clearer only days after torrents of water, ice and debris tore through Himalayan valleys along the Nepal-Tibet border. Rescue teams have pulled more than 8,100 people to safety, but roads remain damaged, power lines are down and weather conditions continue to complicate the search.

The disaster agency said the flood has affected more than 90,000 people across the country. It also said 589 of the missing are foreign nationals, while the Nepal Tourism Board reported that 261 foreign nationals have already been rescued. The U.S. State Department said around 100 Americans were still unaccounted for and that five had been rescued.

The human toll has spread beyond Nepal itself. China reported 16 deaths and 546 missing people in Tibet, though it remains unclear how much overlap exists between the Chinese and Nepali missing-person counts. NBC said that uncertainty is one reason the overall number remains fluid.

The floods began after a massive chunk of ice and rock broke away high in the mountains and triggered a debris flow that swept through valleys and settlements. The U.S. Geological Survey later said the event registered on seismic monitors at the equivalent of a magnitude 5.2 earthquake. NBC reported that the debris flow traveled 62 miles and that a second seismic event followed three hours later.

The latest rescue efforts have been especially difficult in the hardest-hit border districts, where helicopters have resumed flights when weather allows. Some aircraft have been carrying food and clothing to isolated communities, while others have evacuated survivors, including babies from the Trishuli area.

The disaster has also created painful uncertainty for families abroad, including Americans from Texas who were traveling in the region. The U.S. State Department has urged citizens in or near the affected area to contact its Kathmandu office or emergency helpline for assistance.

With bodies being recovered along the Trishuli and Narayani rivers, identification work is becoming more difficult. Authorities in Pokhara have even set up digital displays inside the hospital to help families identify the dead. The disaster is now being treated not only as a rescue emergency but as a major reconstruction challenge, with Nepal’s finance minister estimating the country may need billions of dollars to rebuild.