Nepal floods: President Paudel visits affected areas as 4,996 remain missing

Nepal's President Ramchandra Paudel visited flash flood-hit areas on Monday to review rescue and relief operations as the death toll from the disaster rose to 1,355, according to his office.

The flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in the country's northern and central region.

According to the President's Secretariat, officials briefed Paudel on search and rescue operations, relief distribution, management of holding centres and rehabilitation efforts during his visit to the flood-hit areas.

He inspected a holding centre at Bidur Municipality and interacted with displaced people.

He also visited Nuwakot and Rasuwa, among the areas affected by the floods, and received briefings from security officials and other stakeholders on the situation and ongoing relief efforts.

Rescue teams continued to search for 4,996 people, including at least 589 foreign nationals, who remain missing, while 13,396 people have been rescued so far, Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said.