Nepal floods claim 270 lives; 288 Indians remain missing

The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal rose to 270 on Thursday, with authorities racing to trace hundreds of people still missing, including 288 Indian nationals.

The floods, which struck on Wednesday, wreaked havoc across several districts after an avalanche blocked the flow of the Lhende tributary of the Bhotekoshi River. The resulting surge first hit Timure near Rasuwagadhi, close to Nepal's border with China, before causing widespread destruction downstream.

Nepal Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle said 93 more bodies had been recovered, taking the total death toll to 270.

According to police, 108 bodies were recovered in Chitwan, 62 in Nawalparasi East, 27 in Dhading, 20 in Gorkha, 17 in Rasuwa, 15 in Nawalparasi West, 12 in Nuwakot and nine in Tanahun.

More than 800 stranded people, including those injured, have so far been rescued from the affected areas, Kafle said.

Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said nearly 300 Indian tourists were among thousands of people reported missing following the floods. He said more than 160 people had died in the Rasuwa region alone and thousands remained untraced.

The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi later said 288 Indians were missing in the disaster.

Rescue teams and security personnel have been deployed across the affected areas as authorities continue efforts to locate those missing and assess the extent of the destruction.