By Open Chronicle with agencies
Around 85 American citizens remain unaccounted for following the catastrophic flash floods that struck Nepal and China’s Tibet region after a major glacial collapse on August 26, according to the US State Department.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said on Sunday that US authorities had identified approximately 85 Americans whose whereabouts had yet to be confirmed.
“This morning, I can say we now have 85 Americans, approximately, that are unaccounted for,” Pigott told ABC News.
Nine US citizens have been safely evacuated from the disaster zone, while American authorities have so far received no confirmed reports of US citizens among those killed.
US embassies working around the clock
Pigott said the US embassies in Kathmandu and Beijing were working continuously with Nepalese and Chinese authorities to establish the whereabouts of missing Americans and assist those affected by the disaster.
The scale of the emergency, combined with damaged roads, disrupted communications and the isolation of communities across the Himalayan border region, has complicated efforts to establish reliable casualty and missing-person figures.
Washington has also announced more than $3.6 million in humanitarian assistance for communities affected by the floods.
The aid package includes emergency food assistance capable of supporting as many as 10,000 households, alongside broader relief efforts as authorities confront widespread destruction.
Glacial collapse triggered devastating flood
The disaster began on August 26 when a sudden glacial collapse in the Himalayan region unleashed a powerful surge of water, ice, mud, rocks and other debris into valleys below.
The resulting flash floods swept through communities on both sides of the Nepal-China border, destroying villages, roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure.
The disaster has become one of the most severe Himalayan flood emergencies in recent years.
According to the latest figures provided in reports on the disaster, more than 800 people have been killed, while nearly 3,300 remain missing across Nepal and Tibet.
Search and rescue teams face particularly difficult conditions because many affected areas are mountainous and remote, while damaged transport and communications infrastructure has made access considerably more difficult.
International response expands
The growing number of foreign nationals reported missing has added an international dimension to the disaster. Nepal’s Himalayan regions attract tourists, trekkers and religious pilgrims from around the world, leaving several governments working with local authorities to locate their citizens.
For Washington, the immediate priority remains accounting for the approximately 85 Americans whose status remains unknown.
The evacuation of nine US citizens has provided some positive news, but the State Department stressed that diplomatic personnel in both Nepal and China continue working with authorities as rescue operations progress.
The absence of confirmed American fatalities also remains significant, although officials have cautioned that information from some of the worst affected areas remains incomplete.
Meanwhile, the scale of the catastrophe is likely to renew scrutiny of the growing risks facing Himalayan communities from unstable glaciers, glacial lakes and other high-altitude hazards capable of producing sudden and extraordinarily destructive floods.
As rescue teams continue searching devastated valleys across Nepal and Tibet, the fate of thousands of missing people remains uncertain.