Kathmandu, Aug 29: The death toll from devastating flash floods in central Nepal rose to 626 on Saturday, with rescue teams continuing to recover bodies while nearly 2,000 people remain missing, officials said.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said the recovered bodies were reported from eight districts across the Himalayan country.
According to the latest figures, Chitwan recorded the highest number of deaths at 233, followed by Nawalparasi East with 158, Nuwakot with 51, Gorkha with 48, Nawalparasi West with 47, Dhading with 45, Tanahu with 31 and Rasuwa with 13.
The flash floods struck Rasuwa and several other parts of central Nepal on Wednesday, causing extensive destruction to homes, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure. The disaster has also left nearly 2,000 people unaccounted for.
Rescue and relief operations continued for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday, with authorities evacuating nearly 2,500 people who were stranded in flood-affected areas.
The NDRRMA had on Friday warned that rising water levels at the flash flood site could increase the risk of further flooding, prompting authorities to maintain heightened vigilance.
Search teams continued operations in affected districts as authorities assessed the scale of the destruction and worked to locate those still missing.
