The State Department said Tuesday that about 70 U.S. citizens are still unaccounted for near the Nepal-China border after last month’s devastating floods, while 18 Americans have been confirmed safe.
“We extend our deepest sympathy to all those affected by the flooding in Nepal, and their families, and we reaffirm our enduring friendship with the Nepali people,” a State Department official told Fox News.
The official said the department is continuing to communicate closely with relatives of the missing Americans and will provide updates as new information is confirmed.
Heavy machinery works to clear a road along the Trishuli River following deadly flash floods and mudslides in Nepal’s Nuwakot district, Bagmati province, on Sept. 8, 2026. (REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis)
U.S. officials also cautioned Americans against traveling to the affected area, saying the region continues to face the threat of further flash flooding and landslides.
The latest update reduced the number of Americans unaccounted for from 75 to 70, while the number confirmed safe rose from 16 to 18.
Officials have not confirmed any American deaths.
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A flooded home is seen after deadly flash floods and mudslides devastated Nuwakot district, Nepal, on Sept. 8, 2026. (REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis)
As search efforts continue, Nepalese authorities said rescuers are concentrating on three hydropower project tunnels where they believe dozens of workers may still be trapped beneath debris left by the Aug. 26 glacier collapse that triggered devastating flooding along the Nepal-China border, according to Reuters.
“Our search operation is focused on finding survivors, including in tunnels. Our bigger focus is on the Chilime hydroelectric project, where we believe people are trapped, because there was a canteen, residency and arrangements for food,” Dharma Raj Upreti, chief of Nepal’s disaster authority, told Reuters.
Damaged homes line the banks of the Trishuli River after deadly flash floods and mudslides in Nuwakot district, Nepal, on Sept. 8, 2026. (REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis)
The disaster has killed at least 1,399 people across Nepal and China’s Tibet region, with more than 5,400 others still missing, according to authorities.
Both governments have blamed climate change for the glacier collapse that unleashed the flooding.