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The disaster struck around 8:40 a.m. local time Wednesday when an enormous torrent of water, mud, rocks and other debris surged through northern Nepal near its border with China’s Tibet region, overwhelming communities along the Trishuli River and destroying buildings, bridges and roadways in its path.

Officials initially believed seismic activity may have triggered the disaster, but subsequent analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey determined that the seismic signal was generated by a massive glacial collapse and debris flow rather than a conventional earthquake.

The scale of the devastation has become clearer by the hour, with more than 350 people reported dead across the broader disaster zone by Thursday while more than 1,000 remained missing in Nepal and China.

Nepalese authorities reported hundreds of people still unaccounted for, including local residents, members of the country’s security forces and a staggering number of tourists who had traveled to the spectacular Himalayan region before disaster struck.

Among the foreign tourists reported out of contact in Nepal were 177 Indian nationals, 63 Americans, 53 Ukrainians, 34 Australians, 33 British citizens and 25 Canadians, along with smaller numbers of travelers from Germany, Singapore, South Africa and numerous other countries.

Across the border in Tibet, Chinese state media reported another 558 people missing in Gyirong County, including approximately 260 foreign nationals, underscoring the enormous geographic reach of the disaster.

Thousands of Nepalese soldiers and police officers have been deployed into the disaster zone, while military helicopters have been conducting repeated flights to search for survivors, evacuate the injured and deliver emergency supplies to communities cut off by washed-out roads and destroyed bridges.

The Nepali Army said its aircraft evacuated 125 people, including 20 foreign nationals, from the Timure and Mailung areas Thursday morning as rescuers continued pushing deeper into the hardest-hit territory.

For American families awaiting information, the U.S. government has begun mobilizing resources as officials attempt to determine the whereabouts and condition of citizens who may have been caught in the flooding.

“The United States extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the devastating flash floods in the Rasuwa district of Nepal. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster,” a State Department spokesperson said.

The State Department said it was “closely monitoring the situation and is deploying a disaster response adviser to the region to support response efforts. The Department will also provide $500,000 in assistance through its global award with Catholic Relief Services, supporting emergency shelter, relief items, and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance to flood-affected communities.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed American solidarity with Nepal and said the United States stood ready to assist the country’s government with humanitarian needs as the full scale of the catastrophe emerged.

The U.S. Embassy in Nepal said it was “working to account for U.S. citizens who may have been affected” and urged Americans in the disaster zone who were able to communicate to contact their families, hotels, guides, trekking companies or tour operators as quickly as possible.

Communications remain severely disrupted in portions of the region, creating the possibility that some people currently classified as missing or out of contact could ultimately be found alive once cellphone networks and transportation links are restored.

Among those caught in the disaster were travelers associated with the India-based Isha Foundation, which told ABC News that 22 Americans were among a 77-person tour group at an immigration center near the Nepal-Tibet border when the flooding struck.

Three additional missing Americans were reportedly traveling with the Nepalese company Fishtail Tours and Travel, which confirmed that the U.S. nationals were among tourists still unaccounted for.

The disaster reportedly began roughly 12 miles northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border crossing, where an enormous glacial collapse sent ice, rock, and debris plunging into the valley before a devastating surge traveled downstream toward populated areas.

Entire stretches of critical infrastructure have been devastated, complicating an already dangerous rescue mission as emergency crews navigate unstable terrain, thick mud, high water, and areas accessible primarily by helicopter.