Prince William and Princess Kate paused paused their summer holiday away from the public eye to offer condolences to those impacted by the catastrophic floods that swept through Nepal and neighboring parts of China.
The Aug. 26 flooding has killed 579 people, according to local media reports, while 1,924 remain unaccounted for, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority of Nepal
."The scale of the devastation along the Nepal-China border is shocking. We are thinking of everyone caught up in this terrible disaster," Prince and Princess of Wales said Aug. 28 in a statement shared on X. "Our thoughts are especially with the families facing an unbearable wait for news and with the communities confronting such immense
loss."
The statement continued: "We are incredibly grateful to all those working in such dangerous conditions to rescue people and support those affected."
Their remarks come after the pair recently visited Balmoral Castle in Scotland during their summer holiday.
William's father, King Charles III, also expressed his sympathy in an Aug. 27 statement, saying he and Queen Camilla were heartbroken to hear about the devastation.
"Many in the United Kingdom have strong, deep and personal ties to this part of the world. We send our most profound sympathy to all those who have so tragically lost their loved ones, and we feel deeply for the many families awaiting anxiously the news of friends and relations," he said.
Charles also offered condolences to the families of police and Armed Forces personnel who died while "carrying out their courageous duty in the service of others, and we give our deepest thanks to those who have responded so selflessly in undertaking rescue efforts."
"Our special thoughts and prayers remain with all those affected and, as always, the United Kingdom stands ready to help support those in need," the statement read.
Nearly 93,000 people impacted by the disaster
Nearly 93,000 people are estimated to have been affected by the devastation, and the death toll is expected to rise, the Red Cross confirmed to USA TODAY.
The disaster unfolded Aug. 26 after a sudden surge of water entered the Bhote Koshi River from Tibet and swept through Nepal's northern Rasuwa district. The flooding devastated communities along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridors, destroying homes, buildings and critical infrastructure and killing hundreds.
Officials are still investigating the exact cause, though preliminary assessments suggest an ice avalanche may have blocked a river upstream in Tibet, triggering the sudden outburst flood.
Nepali officials said they remained hopeful more survivors would be found.
The cause of the flooding remains unclear, though scientists suspect a glacier collapse and say climate change may have contributed.
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Prince William, Princess Kate 'shocked' by deadly Nepal floods amid break
