Nine Americans have been safely evacuated from Nepal, but 85 are still missing after a devastating flood claimed at least 750 lives, the US State Department said Sunday.
Rescue teams are working around the clock at the Nepali-Tibetan border to search for a total of more than 3,000 missing people in the muddy ground after last week’s catastrophic flood.
“This morning, I can say we now have 85 Americans, approximately, that are unaccounted for,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott told ABC News’ “This Week.”
“We’ve also now seen nine Americans be safely evacuated. We are currently unaware of any US citizen deaths at this time,” he said.
The State Department has been coordinating rescue efforts with the US embassies in Tibet and China, but the remote era where the disaster took place presents logistical challenges for the search teams.
“Our embassies in Beijing and Kathmandu are working 24/7 in terms of communicating and coordinating with local officials, trying to get that reliable information,” Pigott said.
The disaster took place near the Rasuwagadhi border post, where a landslide triggered horrific floods that swallowed entire villages in a single wave.
Among the missing Americans are those who traveled to Nepal to take part in a sacred Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, where thousands had gathered before the flood hit.
New Yorkers Amita Amin, 67, and Jitendra Manubhai Patel, 63, alongside Tejal Vyomesh Patel, 64, of New Jersey were taking part in the pilgrimage when they vanished in the disaster, Newsday reported.
The State Department has activated $3.6 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to the region, with the money set to assist 10,000 affected households, as well as the rebuilding of destroyed roads.
With Post Wires
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