Nepal police say 54 Americans and 24 Canadians are among more than 500 missing tourists, as the death toll passes 150

Nepali authorities say 54 Americans and 24 Canadians are among more than 500 tourists still missing after flash floods and mudslides struck the Nepal-Tibet border. The confirmed death toll from the disaster has now passed 150. As reported by BBC News, Nepal police said the total number of missing includes 466 foreign nationals from 28 different countries.

That count includes more than 100 people from India, 33 from the United Kingdom, and over 100 from Nepal itself. Officials say the destruction is extensive, with early government estimates putting damage to roads and bridges at more than 15 billion Nepalese rupees. Rescue teams are continuing to work through the wreckage left by the flooding.

The US State Department confirmed it is aware that American citizens were affected by the floods, which struck on Wednesday. The department has not released specific figures, citing privacy concerns, though a spokesperson said the US embassy in Nepal is working with local tour agencies and authorities to assist those affected. The embassy said in a statement that it was deeply saddened by the loss of life caused by the Bhote Koshi flood and extended condolences to affected families.

Canada and China have also reported on the disaster’s toll

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the disaster on X, saying Canada stands ready to provide support as rescue efforts continue. He urged Canadians in the region to register with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service. Canada’s foreign affairs office said 820 Canadians are registered as being in Nepal, though it cautioned that figure is an estimate since registration is voluntary.

Initial reports had suggested an earthquake may have triggered the disaster, but the US Geological Survey later clarified that the seismic energy detected was generated by a landslide. Scientists say climate change is accelerating glacier melt in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, though it remains too early to determine its specific role in this event, in a week of global headlines that also included an unrelated CIA director’s Russia trip.

State media in China reported three deaths and 265 people missing in Tibet, where footage captured the moment floodwater and mud struck a border crossing. Nepal President Ram Chandra Paudel called for intensified coordination between the government, security forces, and the public in response to the disaster, a call that came the same week as an unrelated Meta child safety settlement also made headlines.

Authorities in Nepal remain focused on locating those still missing in the aftermath of the flooding.