Nepal is facing the threat of another round of flooding as rescuers continue searching for thousands of people missing nearly a week after a glacial collapse caused widespread devastation along the border with Tibet.
The combined death toll in Nepal and Tibet has crossed 900, news agency PTI reported citing Nepalese authorities, while more than 3,000 people remain unaccounted for, according to the latest figures from authorities on both sides.
Fresh warning as rivers rise
Nepali authorities issued new flood warnings after China alerted Nepal about increased water flow upstream. Water levels in the Bhotekoshi River were rising dangerously, while more rain threatened to trigger fresh flash floods.
Rescue teams were also working to reopen roads linking Kathmandu with areas hit by the disaster.
China's state news agency Xinhua reported that a new lake had formed in the mountains after much of the floodwater from Wednesday's disaster drained away. A crater about 5.6 kilometre upstream was still holding an estimated 1.4 million cubic metre of water and remained under close watch.
Overnight rain and swollen rivers also disrupted rescue efforts, with water entering excavation sites, the Nepali Army said.
Hundreds still missing
Nepal's disaster agency has reported 788 deaths and 2,502 missing people. On the Chinese side, authorities have reported 16 deaths and 546 missing.
Those unaccounted for include people from more than a dozen countries, including India. Chinese state media said 261 foreigners remained missing in Tibet, among them more than 100 Nepalis.
In Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, families have continued visiting hospitals and rescue centres looking for relatives. With morgues overwhelmed and limited facilities to preserve bodies, authorities have begun burying some victims before identification is complete. DNA samples are being collected to help families identify and claim the remains later.
"All the settlements near the river were swept away," resident Buddhi Ram Dangol told AFP.
"There is nothing left."
Workers trapped at hydropower sites
As many as 933 hydropower workers are also unaccounted for in Nepal. At the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric project, army personnel and engineers drilled through debris towards workers believed to be trapped inside a tunnel.
Surendra Dowluri, a worker from Andhra Pradesh who survived the flooding, recalled the force of the water.
"We heard a very loud sound... and saw that the turbine floor was submerged with slush, and six workers were stuck in that," he said.
"We managed to rescue five of them, but one person lost his life," he added.
Aid pours in
Nepal has sought specialised equipment and international assistance as it assesses the scale of the destruction. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said reconstruction could cost "billions of dollars".
The US and Canada have each pledged $3.6 million in humanitarian aid, while the UK has offered $6.8 million. The UN has released $2.5 million in emergency funding, with further pledges from the European Union and humanitarian organisations.