Kathmandu, Aug 29:
The death toll from devastating flash floods in central Nepal rose to 626 on Saturday, with rescue teams recovering more bodies as nearly 2,000 people remain missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
The bodies have been recovered from eight districts across the Himalayan nation, with Chitwan reporting the highest number of fatalities at 233, followed by Nawalparasi East with 158.
The NDRRMA said 51 bodies were recovered from Nuwakot, 48 from Gorkha, 47 from Nawalparasi West, 45 from Dhading, 31 from Tanahu and 13 from Rasuwa.
The flash floods struck Rasuwa and other parts of central Nepal on Wednesday, sweeping away homes and damaging roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure. The scale of destruction has left thousands of people stranded or unaccounted for.
Rescue and relief operations continued for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday, with nearly 2,500 stranded people evacuated from affected areas.
Emergency teams have been working to reach communities cut off by floodwaters and debris, while the search for those reported missing continues across the worst-hit districts.
Authorities are also facing difficulties in managing the large number of bodies recovered from downstream areas. The recovery operation is expected to continue as search teams comb through damaged settlements and river stretches.
The disaster response has also been complicated by the possibility of further flooding. The NDRRMA warned on Friday that rising water levels at the flash-flood site could increase the risk of another flood in the area.