Nepal flood death toll rises to 547

At least 547 people have been killed in Nepal after devastating flash floods and mountain torrents struck the Nepal-Tibet border region this week, AFP reported on Friday, citing Nepal Police.

Chinese state media confirmed that at least five people died on the Tibet side of the border, bringing the combined death toll in the two countries to 552.

More than 1,400 people, including hundreds of foreign nationals, remain missing as the death toll continues to rise.

The United States Geological Survey said the disaster was Nepal’s worst and deadliest natural calamity since the devastating 2015 earthquake.

The disaster was primarily triggered by a glacier collapse, which sent huge volumes of ice, rocks and mud crashing down mountain slopes.

Indian authorities confirmed on Friday that at least seven bodies had been recovered from rivers flowing from Nepal into India. Efforts are under way to identify the bodies.

The seven bodies recovered in India have not yet been included in the official death toll of 552.

Water began overflowing again on Friday from a lake formed by the glacier collapse along the Nepal-China border, triggering panic in the area. Local residents have taken shelter in the mountains.