3 Americans among thousands killed in Nepal earthquake

Three Americans were killed in a powerful earthquake that devastated Nepal's capital of Kathmandu on Saturday, and left at least 2,500 dead.

The U.S. Department of State confirmed the deaths to Mashable on Sunday, but did not provide their identities: "We can confirm that three U.S. citizens died in Nepal on April 25. The United States expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victims. Out of respect for the privacy of those affected by this tragedy, we will not comment further.”

Two of the Americans died in an avalanche triggered by the 7.8-magnitude quake on Saturday, ABC News reported, which killed at least 17 people in total.

Google executive Dan Fredinburg, an American, died in the avalanche after suffering a major head injury, his sister Megan confirmed via Instagram. "I regret to inform all who loved him that during the avalanche on Everest early this morning, our Dan suffered from a major head injury and didn't make it, " she wrote on Saturday.

This is Dans little sister Megan. I regret to inform all who loved him that during the avalanche on Everest early this morning our Dan suffered from a major head injury and didn't make it. We appreciate all of the love that has been sent our way thus far and know his soul and his spirit will live on in so many of us. All our love and thanks to those who shared this life with our favorite hilarious strong willed man. He was and is everything to us. Thank you. A photo posted by Dan Fredinburg (@danfredinburg) on Apr 25, 2015 at 11:27am PDT

Jagged Globe, the UK-based mountaineering-tour company that Fredinburg was traveling with, also announced his death on its website Saturday.

"It is with the greatest sorrow that we report the death of one of our Everest team members, Daniel Fredinburg," the company wrote. "Two other team members have non-life threatening injuries, as a result of the avalanche that struck base camp during the earthquake and its aftershocks."

Fredinburg was the ex-boyfriend of actress Sophia Bush, who paid tribute to the executive on Instagram, calling him "one of the great loves of my life."

There are no adequate words. Today I find myself attempting to pick up the pieces of my heart that have broken into such tiny shards, I'll likely never find them all. Today I, and so many of my loved ones, lost an incredible friend. Dan Fredinburg was one-of-a-kind. Fearless. Funny. A dancing robot who liked to ride dinosaurs and chase the sun and envision a better future for the world. His brain knew how to build it. His heart was constantly evolving to push himself to make it so. He was one of my favorite human beings on Earth. He was one of the great loves of my life. He was one of my truest friends. He was an incredible brother, a brilliant engineer, and a damn good man. I'm devastated and simultaneously so deeply grateful to have known and loved him, and to have counted him as one of my tribe. I was so looking forward to our planned download of "all the things" when he got home. I am crushed that I will never hear that story. I am crushed knowing that there are over 1,000 people in Nepal suffering this exact feeling, knowing that they too will never hear another tale about an adventure lived from someone that they love. Disasters like this are often unquantifiable, the enormity is too much to understand. Please remember that each person who is now gone was someone's Dan. Please remember that our time on this Earth is not guaranteed. Please tell those you love that you do. Right now. This very minute. And please send a kiss to the sky for my friend Dan. His energy is so big and so bright, and it's all around us, so put some love toward him today. And then hug your loved ones again. #goodbyesweetfriend #savetheice #Nepal A photo posted by Sophia Bush (@sophiabush) on Apr 25, 2015 at 2:07pm PDT

Marisa Eve Girawong, a doctor traveling with Seattle-based Madison Mountaineering, also died in the avalanche. The mountain-guide company confirmed her death Saturday in a post on its website: "Eve perished in the aftermath of the avalanche that struck the base camp area."

Girawong was a physician's assistant who was serving as the team's camp doctor, according to Madison Mountaineering.

According to ABC News, Tom Taplin, a filmmaker from Santa Monica, was the third American killed in the avalanche. Taplin had been on Mount Everest for nearly a month working on a documentary.

Kathmandu continued to experience aftershocks following Saturday's powerful quake, including a 6.7-magnitude aftershock that hit the city on Sunday. Homes and historic landmarks have also been destroyed in the wake of Saturday's earthquake.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press and Louie Roug