Nepal Border Mudslide Today Wipes Out Villages in Under a Minute as Hundreds Feared Dead or Missing

At least 47 American tourists are among hundreds of people missing after a wall of mud and glacial floodwater tore across the Nepal-China border on Wednesday, wiping out villages in under a minute and killing more than 150.

Nepal's Tourism Board said 341 foreign nationals lost contact after the flood struck the northern Rasuwa district, though officials warned the count keeps shifting as rescuers reach cut-off valleys. Nepal police put the confirmed dead at 157 and expect the toll to rise. The missing also include dozens of Australians, Britons, and Canadians, along with Nepali police, soldiers, and power workers.

US Families Wait on the State Department

The State Department said it is aware of Americans caught in the flooding but does not yet have an accurate figure, noting the number has changed throughout the day. Its embassy in Kathmandu is working with Nepali authorities to trace US citizens in the affected areas.

Washington has committed $500,000 (£368,000) in relief through Catholic Relief Services for shelter, clean water, and sanitation, and is sending a disaster response adviser to the region. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered condolences and pledged further humanitarian help.

Relatives can report a missing US citizen abroad through the State Department's Overseas Citizens Services, which coordinates welfare and whereabouts checks with local police and hospitals. For now, blocked roads and downed phone lines are slowing every effort.

A Glacier Collapse in Seconds

The US Geological Survey first logged a magnitude 4.4 earthquake early Wednesday about 40 miles (64.3 km) north of Kathmandu, then reclassified the signal as a 5.2 magnitude landslide. Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said Planet Labs satellite imagery pointed to an ice-and-rock avalanche on the border that triggered a glacier-fed flood down the Lhende River, roughly 12 miles (20 km) from the Rasuwagadhi crossing.

The torrent surged into the Bhote Koshi River and swept away roads, bridges, and power projects. Nepali authorities warned a second flood could follow, with debris still blocking the river upstream. Downstream, India's Bihar state began evacuating residents from six districts as a precaution, fearing the floodwaters could reach them.

Villages Erased in Under a Minute

Verified footage showed the crossing overwhelmed almost instantly, with people running as mud swallowed buildings. The flood hit around 8:30 a.m. local time, burying parts of Nuwakot district and choking the Trishuli River. Across the frontier, the mudslide engulfed Gyirong Port in Tibet.

The Rasuwa corridor is a gateway for trekkers heading toward Langtang and pilgrims on the Kailash Mansarovar route, drawing foreign visitors through autumn. Nepal's energy ministry said the flood knocked out 430 megawatts of power, more than 12% of national hydropower capacity.

Rescuers Battle Mud To Reach the Border

In Tibet, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported at least three dead, but the number of missing people in Gyirong County has since surged to 558, including 260 foreign nationals. China deployed hundreds of emergency workers, speedboats, and search dogs to the crossing, but heavy sediment and destroyed infrastructure have severely stalled their advance. President Xi Jinping ordered all-out search efforts as regional teams scramble to locate survivors.

In Nepal, helicopters struggled to land as floodwaters stayed high. For dozens of US families, the wait for word now rests with a State Department still trying to count how many of their relatives were on the mountain when it gave way.