Nepal flood death toll rises to 903, missing 4,247

Devastating floods near the border with China have killed at least 903 people in Nepal, while the number of missing in the country has soared to 4,247, its disaster authority said Monday, as rescue efforts entered a sixth day.

Chinese state media earlier confirmed 16 dead and 546 people missing in Tibet following Wednesday's disaster, taking the overall toll to 919 dead and 4,793 missing.

Nepal's list of the missing includes 592 foreigners.

It also includes 933 workers on hydropower projects along the river which the torrent crashed through, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

Nepal's disaster agency listed 3,655 missing citizens in its update on Monday morning.

That includes Nuwakot district, where the missing rose sharply to 1,158, up from 115 reported on Sunday, as well as a further 562 unaccounted for in Rasuwa district.

The missing includes 45 Nepali army soldiers, 38 police and armed police officers, and 19 customs and immigration officers.

In India, authorities in Uttar Pradesh state said they had recovered 17 bodies from rivers flowing from Nepal, believed to be flood victims.

Indian authorities are seeking to identify the bodies, and they are not included in the toll.

'Unimaginable' disaster

Nepal is facing an "unimaginable and heartbreaking" disaster with authorities struggling to assess the full scale of devastating floods that have killed hundreds, Prime Minister Balendra Shah has said.

The huge wave of ice, rocks and debris that smashed into villages and towns on Wednesday has claimed at least 903 lives in both Nepal and Tibet, across the border in China.

"Our country has been facing an unimaginable and heartbreaking natural disaster," Shah said in a social media post late Sunday.

"The devastating floods in the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa have made it extremely difficult to collect a complete account of the loss of life, property, and infrastructure," he added.

"Although this task remains challenging due to adverse weather, difficult terrain, and ongoing risks, we are moving forward with determination to protect the lives of the citizens."

At least 4,247 people remain missing, including many tourists and pilgrims to Tibet's sacred Mount Kailash.

Shah, a 36-year-old rapper-turned-politician widely known as "Balen", faces the enormous task of rebuilding communities and critical infrastructure.

Nepal's economy is already under pressure, with limited resources to respond to a disaster of this scale.

The disaster came ahead of the anniversary of last year's September 8-9 mass anti-corruption protests that toppled the previous government.

Shah's party swept elections in March on a wave of euphoria calling for change.

"We will succeed in overcoming this crisis through our unity and collective efforts," he said of the floods.