Scores killed, Americans among hundreds missing after Nepal, Tibet flash floods

At least 160 individuals were killed in Nepal and hundreds more, most of them foreigners, were listed as missing on Wednesday in both Nepal and Tibet after flash flooding tore through border areas, according to authorities.

Key points

• Hikmat Singh Ayer, CEO and senior director of Nepal's Tourism Board, informed CBS News that 403 residents were unaccounted for after the flooding.
• Nationals were among the 341 foreigners listed as missing, according to Nepal's Tourism Board, citing information from tour firms.
• According to The Nepali police, at least 162 bodies were recovered after "devastating floods, " but there was no word on the nationalities of the victims.
• "Work has started to take necessary steps in coordination with the medical team, scouts, and Red Cross, " Nepal's Prime Minister Balen Shah wrote in a social media post.
• Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal initially documented that the flash flood was caused by an earthquake that triggered a substantial landslide.

Meanwhile, the flash floods decimated villages, slamming into houses, roads, bridges and power plants. Videos broadcast by regional news outlets and posted on social media show violent torrents of water surging through valleys and mountain passes, tearing down bridges and dams and sweeping away buildings.

According to The Nepali police, at least 162 bodies were recovered after "devastating floods, " but there was no word on the nationalities of the victims. Chinese state media documented "major casualties" from a mudslide at a Tibet border hub, including three dead.

Dozens of U.S. Nationals were among the 341 foreigners listed as missing, according to Nepal's Tourism Board, citing information from tour firms.

Hikmat Singh Ayer, CEO and senior director of Nepal's Tourism Board, informed CBS News that 403 residents were unaccounted for after the flooding. He remarked that among the missing foreign nationals are 33 Americans, 34 Australians, 24 Canadians, 4 Germans, 19 Malaysians and one Israeli.

According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV afterwards, at least 558 individuals were believed to be missing on the Tibet side of the Nepal-Tibet border, according to The Associated Press. It remarked 260 of the 558 were foreigners.

In practice, a sudden surge of water Wednesday morning in the Bhote Koshi River, in the country's northern Rasuwa district north of capital Kathmandu, rapidly affected the neighboring Nuwakot and Dhading districts.

David Fisher, the head of delegation for the International Red Cross in Nepal, informed CBS News that numerous areas remain inaccessible, hindering ground operations, but helicopter teams have been able to go in and rescue individuals.

"Entire villages have disappeared, " Fisher remarked. "Markets have disappeared, and a critical artery for commerce between China and Nepal has also now been damaged, making it very difficult for many of those families who depend on that for their living."

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal initially documented that the flash flood was caused by an earthquake that triggered a substantial landslide. It blocked the Bhote Koshi River.

Nevertheless, the United States Geological Survey afterwards documented that the flash flood was "instead generated by a glacial collapse and debris flow, " stating that no earthquake occurred.

"This event was initially reported as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake, " the USGS remarked. "Additional analysis of nearby seismic stations, long period seismic waves, and satellite imagery led to the determination that the seismic event was instead a glacial collapse and debris flow, and that no earthquake had occurred."

Nepali President Ramachandra Paudel remarked he was "extremely saddened" by the "loss of lives and property caused by the sudden flood."

He called on the administration, political parties, agencies and the general public to intensify rescue and relief efforts.

"There could be heavy casualties or loss of property, " district administrator Narendra Pariyar was quoted as saying by Reuters. He has additionally called on individuals living along the banks of the Bhote Koshi River to move to higher ground.

Nepal's mountainous terrain, dotted with deep valleys and narrow gorges, makes rescue and relief operations challenging. Helicopters could not land in the affected areas of Syapru Besi and Timure, Reuters remarked.

Most of the missing foreigners were on trips organized by tourism and travel firms.

According to The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), six of its major hydropower and transmission facilities were damaged in the flooding.

"We do not exactly know the extent of damage, but the flood is big, and it could have damaged many settlements, " Nepal Police spokesman Abi Narayan Kafle informed the French news agency AFP. "We have alerted people who are staying near the riverside to relocate. And deployed all our resources."

In a social media post, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed U.S. Solidarity with the Nepali individuals, saying his department "stands ready to support the government of Nepal with needed humanitarian assistance."

For context, the State Department remarked afterwards Wednesday it would "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."

Meanwhile, the State Department additionally stated its embassy in Kathmandu was working with local authorities to to find and support U.S. Citizens affected by the disaster.

India's administration ordered authorities in states along the Nepal border to be on high alert. Kiki Intarasuwan and AFP contributed to this report. Videos show devastating mudslides in Nepal after flash floods.

Taken together, the developments around scores killed, Americans among hundreds missing after Nepal, Tibet flash floods point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.