KATHMANDU: The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal rose to 669 on Saturday, with more bodies being recovered on Saturday even as more than 2,000 people are still missing following the disaster.
Bodies were recovered from all eight affected districts as search and rescue operations continued on war footing.
An ice-rock avalanche following a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border sent a torrent of water, mud and debris downstream wiping out towns and villages, damaging crucial infrastructure and washing away hydropower stations through central Nepal on Wednesday.
So far, 669 bodies of the Bhotekoshi flood victims have been recovered from eight districts, according to a statement by Nepal Police.
The rescuers have recovered 248 bodies from Chitawan, 158 from Nawalparasi East, 75 from Nawalparasi West and 54 from Gorkha, it said.
Similarly, 49 bodies were recovered from Dhading district, 41 from Nuwakot, 31 from Tanahu and 13 from Rasuwa district.
More than 2,400 people remained missing as of Saturday.
Nearly 2,500 people, including 163 foreigners, were evacuated as rescue teams led by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) raced against time amid on-and-off rainfall in the flood-affected regions.
More than 11,000 security personnel, including over 5,000 Nepal Army personnel, have been mobilised for search and rescue operations.