Kathmandu, Aug 28:
The death toll from the devastating flash floods triggered near the Nepal-Tibet border has climbed to 469, as search and rescue operations entered their third day on Friday.
Nepal Police said bodies had been recovered from eight districts, with Chitwan reporting the highest toll of 178 deaths, followed by Nawalparasi East with 110. Gorkha recorded 44 deaths, Nuwakot 37, Dhading 33, Tanahu 28, Nawalparasi West 27 and Rasuwa 12.
Rescue teams have so far evacuated 1,545 injured and stranded people from the affected regions. Of them, 84 are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Kathmandu.
Authorities have deployed 7,451 security personnel, including 2,391 Nepal Army troops, for search and rescue operations across the disaster-hit areas.
The catastrophe was triggered on Wednesday when an ice-rock avalanche caused by a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border unleashed a massive torrent of water, mud and debris downstream through central Nepal. The flash floods devastated towns and villages, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects.
Search operations are continuing amid fears that more victims could still be trapped in the debris or missing in the flood-hit areas.