KATHMANDU: The death toll from devastating floods in Nepal has risen to 626, while around 2,000 people remain missing, according to officials cited by the BBC.
Thousands of people, including dozens of foreign nationals, are still missing in Nepal and neighbouring Tibet after a glacier burst in the Himalayan mountainous region sent large volumes of water, ice, rocks, mud and debris into rivers.
The floods destroyed or severely damaged villages and valleys along their path, while power plants, roads and bridges were also affected.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah said rescue and relief operations were continuing. Rescue teams on Friday saved 4,451 people from affected areas, he said.
Nepal’s finance minister said the country could require between $4 billion and $5 billion for reconstruction. He said it would take time to assess the full extent of the damage, with roads, bridges and energy projects among the infrastructure affected.
According to the Disaster Management Authority, around 800 foreign nationals are among those reported missing.
The Nepal Tourism Board said 121 foreign nationals had so far been rescued, including two US citizens.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs separately said 320 Indian nationals were missing following the floods in Nepal.
Rescue teams equipped with heavy machinery were searching affected areas for possible survivors, while helicopters were being used to deliver relief supplies to people stranded in remote locations.
Rescue workers also used trained dogs to search for bodies in areas affected by the floods.
Meanwhile, Chinese media reported that water had begun overflowing again from a lake in Tibet that contributed to the flooding, temporarily disrupting rescue operations in parts of Tibet and Nepal.
