Nepal warns of new floods. Over 900 dead have been found

Rescuers attempted to clear a vital highway connecting Kathmandu to one of the hardest-hit regions. Residents of flood-affected villages said that following the initial floods, the near-constant alerts have been difficult to process. “Sometimes they say a flood is coming, and then we have to flee to higher ground again, even at night. On top of that, it’s raining,” said resident Govind Shreshta.

In Dhading, one of Nepal's worst-affected districts, some residents began returning to their destroyed homes to salvage what they could. People shoveled mud and debris out of houses; one man found his chickens alive, tied them up, and put them in the cab of a truck. “Everything is over. Nothing is left. Not even our home,” said Dhading resident Sharmila Tamang.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told ABC’s “This Week” that 85 Americans are missing in Nepal and nine have been safely evacuated. “We are not aware of any U.S. citizen fatalities at this time,” he said. The U.S. State Department has launched $3.6 million in emergency humanitarian aid, which includes up to three months of food assistance for 10,000 households. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that Malaysia is sending a search and rescue team to Nepal and allocating $1 million in financial aid.

Wednesday’s flash floods began after a glacier collapse high in the Himalayas. Scientists who studied satellite imagery said the bedrock beneath the glacier collapsed, taking part of the glacier with it. The collapse was so powerful it registered as a magnitude 5.2 event. Rocks and meltwater swelled rivers in the valleys below, sweeping away buildings, bridges, and soil in Tibet and Nepal. Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal called for a global response to climate change, stating that Nepal contributes only 0.1% of global emissions but has become a major victim of climate change.