The US and Canada on Wednesday both announced their readiness to provide emergency aid to Nepal after devastating flash floods and mudslides struck a region bordering China, with dozens of North American citizens among those missing.
"State Department stands ready to support the Government of Nepal with needed humanitarian assistance," Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on US social media company X.
He voiced solidarity with the Nepali people, saying that Washington is "united in prayer" following the disaster.
Mark Carney, Canada's prime minister, described the disaster as "absolutely devastating."
"Canadians are thinking of all those in distress right now, those who have lost a loved one, and all those who are still waiting for answers," Carney wrote on X, adding that his government stands ready to provide support.
At least 47 people from the US are among the missing, while a further 24 Canadians are also unaccounted for, according to Nepalese authorities. Washington and Ottawa have not independently confirmed the figures.
The catastrophe has killed at least 160 people and left more than 680 missing. Floods destroyed 13 hydropower projects along with 25 miles (40 kilometers) of roads, according to Nepalese government estimates. Some 200 trucks and 19 bridges were also swept away by surges of water and mud.
