Update on Nepal-Tibet Tragedy: Trump Weighs in, and There's a Sliver of a Silver Lining

As we previously wrote, areas near the Nepal-Tibet border suffered a catastrophic natural disaster this week.

My colleague Nick Amara wrote on Wednesday that "[h]undreds of tourists and locals are missing as a massive flash flood swept through villages along the border," after an earthquake triggered a massive landslide which blocked a river, according to authorities in both countries. At the time, Arama shared the reports on the nightmarish initial death toll:

 A preliminary toll from the Nepal tourism board put it at 384 people missing, including 93 Nepali nationals and 291 foreign nationals, and at least three American tourists. But that's likely to go up. 

On Thursday, President Trump was asked by a member of the media gaggle, in the Oval Office during an event, about the tragedy:

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

He called the footage showing the damage caused by the landslide/flooding "brutal," saying "that was mud and water...no one's seen anything quite like it." He described how the buildings just crumbled in the face of the deluge.

Nearly 400 people have been confirmed killed in the massive flash flooding that ravaged 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. https://t.co/biqaAh2ZTr 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.

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