About 70 Americans Remain Unaccounted for After Deadly Nepal Floods; 17 Reach Safety, State Department Says
Trishuli in Nuwakot after flooding in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa, Nepal. Photo: Dipendra Dhungana/NepYork
The U.S. State Department said Thursday that it was aware of approximately 70 Americans unaccounted for as of 7 a.m. Eastern time Thursday following the deadly floods in Nepal.
The department confirmed that 17 American citizens have made their way to safety.
“As of 7:00 a.m. ET 9/3, the State Department is aware of approximately 70 Americans unaccounted for in the Nepal/China cross-border region. We can confirm that 17 American citizens have made their way to safety,” a State Department spokesperson told NepYork.
The spokesperson further said, “The Department of State remains in close contact with the families of Americans who remain unaccounted for and is committed to providing regular updates as more information becomes available.”
601 Foreign Nationals Remain Missing
Nepal Police said 601 foreign nationals from 37 countries remain missing following the flooding in the Bhote Koshi River area.
Police said about 100 bodies have been identified and handed over to their relatives. About 1,150 bodies remain unidentified, while details and photographs of 1,052 bodies have been uploaded to the official Nepal Police website to help families identify their missing relatives.
Authorities have temporarily buried 897 bodies under government health protocols.
Nepal Police said they have collected 1,794 DNA samples so far, including 1,143 samples from deceased people and 651 from living relatives.
Nepal Police have asked first-degree relatives of foreign nationals missing after the Aug. 26 flash floods in Rasuwa district to provide DNA profiles to help identify recovered bodies and human remains. The request was posted by Nepal Police on X.
The DNA collection is part of the ongoing effort to identify victims whose remains have been recovered from the disaster area and reunite them with their families.