Death toll nears 600 as missing soar over 2,400 in Nepal, China floods

NUWAKOT, Nepal - The death toll from the recent disaster in Nepal and China has climbed towards 600, while the number of people reported missing has soared over 2,400, as the aftermath of a devastating tsunami-like wave of water and debris continues to unfold. Rescue teams are struggling to navigate through the thick mud, all while the looming threat of further flooding looms.

So far, 584 bodies have been recovered, with some victims' remains being carried downstream as far as India. This grim situation unfolded as Nepal's disaster authority added 933 hydropower workers to the list of missing, alongside trekkers and pilgrims to Tibet's revered Mount Kailash. In Nepal's capital, relatives have flooded hospitals in a desperate search for their loved ones, with tearful crowds surrounding posters displaying photos and names of the missing, according to AFP journalists.

On this third day of the disaster, many continue to anxiously await news about their relatives, with one distraught mother, Samjhana Thing, 27, expressing her hope that her brother is safe, while lamenting the loss of everything he held dear. The U.S. Geological Survey attributes the disaster, which marks the deadliest event in Nepal since the 2015 earthquake, to a massive glacial collapse that triggered a vast flood.