Hundreds killed in Nepal Himalayan flood after glacier collapse

Search and rescue efforts are continuing in Nepal after a catastrophic landslide rocked the country on Wednesday, according to Eyewitness News. Officials say 543 people have been confirmed dead and 1,400 remain missing, among them at least 90 Americans. Those unaccounted for include a mother and her 14-year-old daughter visiting from New York, a New York couple on a spiritual pilgrimage, and a couple from Bloomfield, New Jersey. Eyewitness News reported that the landslide was as powerful as a magnitude 5.2 earthquake and was triggered by a chunk of glacier that fell, with water pushing through at 40 miles per hour, destroying bridges and making streets and roads disappear. The Sherpa community gathered for a candlelight vigil. The United States is pledging aid and the United Sherpa Association is leading a fundraiser in New York, while Euronews reported that more than 7,000 rescue workers have been deployed across a popular trekking region where several hundred foreign tourists are among the missing.

Search and rescue efforts are continuing in Nepal after a catastrophic landslide rocked the country on Wednesday. According to Eyewitness News, 543 people have been confirmed dead and 1,400 people remain missing in the disaster. Rescue teams are still working to reach those who have not yet been accounted for in the aftermath of the landslide.

Among those still missing are a number of Americans. Eyewitness News reported that at least 90 Americans are among the missing. They include a mother and her 14-year-old daughter visiting from New York, a New York couple on a spiritual pilgrimage, and a couple from Bloomfield, New Jersey, whose families are waiting for news.

According to Eyewitness News, the landslide was as powerful as a magnitude 5.2 earthquake and was triggered by a chunk of glacier that fell. Eyewitness News reported that the water then pushed through at 40 miles per hour, destroying bridges and making streets and roads disappear as it moved through the area.

The disaster has been felt within the wider Sherpa community. According to Eyewitness News, the Sherpa community gathered for a candlelight vigil. Members of the community said the first and foremost thing to worry about is recovering and finding these people, finding as many survivors as possible, while also supporting the people who have lost lives.

Help has begun to come from abroad and from within the diaspora. According to Eyewitness News, the United States is pledging aid, and the United Sherpa Association is leading a fundraiser in New York to support those affected by the disaster. The response combines official assistance with a community-driven relief effort based in New York.

Euronews reported that more than 7,000 rescue workers have been deployed, though many places are difficult to reach. According to Euronews, several hundred foreign tourists are among the missing in what is a popular trekking region, along with pilgrims from India and people who had been working on a hydroelectric project, while aid from abroad has begun and donation accounts have been set up.

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