Nepal flood toll passes 600 as search widens

The death toll from catastrophic flash flooding along the Nepal-China border has surpassed 600, with authorities in both countries confirming 626 fatalities in Nepal and seven in Tibet, while roughly 2,500 people remain unaccounted for amid a rescue operation now entering its fourth day.

Adverse weather grounded helicopter operations on Saturday, forcing authorities to suspend aerial rescues until conditions improve, army spokesperson Brigadier General Raja Ram Basnet said, even as search teams pressed on at the flood-ravaged Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project in Rasuwa district and the devastated Gyirong border crossing in Tibet. More than 100 workers are feared trapped in a mud-clogged tunnel at the hydropower site, where rescuers have reached some survivors using baskets and ropes despite waist-deep sludge and cramped helicopter landing zones; teams were briefly withdrawn to safety amid fresh flood warnings tied to a glacial lake formed after Wednesday's initial disaster, though Chinese state media reported the lake's water level had since receded by roughly ten metres. Nepal's Foreign Minister has appealed to neighbouring countries for assistance as the search intensifies, with more than 3,700 people rescued so far.

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In Nuwakot district, one of the worst-affected areas, anguished relatives gathered around lists of the missing pinned up at a relief camp, scanning for familiar names as soldiers looked on; many photographed the lists and broke down in tears upon finding, or failing to find, the names they sought.