As reported earlier this week, communities near the Nepal-Tibet border have been devastated by a fast-moving natural disaster that left widespread destruction in its wake.
My colleague Nick Amara reported Wednesday that hundreds of tourists and local residents were unaccounted for after a powerful flash flood tore through border villages. Officials in Nepal and Tibet said the disaster began when an earthquake set off a major landslide, blocking a river and unleashing a torrent downstream. Early reports painted a grim picture of the potential human toll:
A preliminary assessment from Nepal’s tourism board listed 384 people as missing, including 93 Nepali citizens and 291 foreign nationals. At least three American tourists were among those unaccounted for, and authorities warned the numbers could rise.
During an Oval Office event on Thursday, President Trump was asked by reporters about the catastrophe and the destruction seen in footage from the region.
Watch:
.@POTUS on the tragedy in Nepal: “It’s terrible. We’ve called Nepal; we’ve offered any help that they need… It’s a terrible thing. We’re sending aid, and we’ve spoken to the leadership and we let them know anything they want, we’ll have.” pic.twitter.com/r89EhwO9nl
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 27, 2026
Trump described the scenes as “brutal,” saying the floodwaters carried “mud and water” with a force unlike anything many observers had ever seen. He noted that buildings appeared to collapse almost instantly as the surge swept through the area.
Nearly 400 people have now been confirmed dead after the massive flash flooding that struck the Nepal-Tibet border region on Wednesday.
More than 1,300 people remained missing as of Thursday morning, authorities said. Drone footage captured the devastation. pic.twitter.com/5peBzR8nEe
— ABC News (@ABC) August 27, 2026
In an updated report Thursday evening, the number of fatalities has ticked up to an astounding 389 people, according to the Nepal Tourism Board. They also shared a distressing number on how many Americans remain missing in the floods – as many as 66:
Nepali police said that at least 389 bodies had been recovered. At least 466 injured people have been rescued, police said.
The death toll rises again when you add in the estimated number inside the Tibean border, ABC News said in the story linked above:
Across the border in the Chinese region of Tibet, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday that three people were confirmed killed with 558 others still missing, citing local officials.
It’s difficult to comprehend the potential final toll of fatalities, with the number of people who remain missing above 1,300 on Thursday morning, per officials.
The reporting added some reasons to be hopeful, though, saying that two Americans have been rescued.
The Nepal Tourism Board said that two Americans were among a group of 27 foreign tourists rescued from the Timure and Bhotekoshi area of Rasuwa, which was hit by devastating flash flooding on Wednesday.
Read more: https://t.co/Mq6eLY2hPV
— ABC News (@ABC) August 27, 2026
Later on Thursday afternoon, there was a sliver of a silver lining, in an update by USA Today reporter Natalie Neysa Alund, with a comment from a White House spokesperson on a third American who has been rescued.
The Trump Adminstration has confirmed a third American has been safely rescued in Nepal now. @WhiteHouse @POTUS https://t.co/5xXIaqcDlU
— Natalie Neysa Alund (@nataliealund) August 27, 2026
Any rescues at this point have to be counted as a miracle, of course. Join me lifting up to God the rescue personnel, medical staffers, and others who are working in such a devastating situation to save an untold number of lives in the coming hours and days. And since this is a quickly developing story, check back for updates, readers.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are once again respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
