At least 675 people have died and nearly 2400 remain missing, according to a report by Nepal's English daily The Himalayan.

The Nepalese government has sought international expertise not only to locate survivors but also to deal with the difficult task of identifying and handling bodies recovered from severely affected areas.

India sends tunnel rescue experts

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said an 11-member technical reconnaissance team from India, trained in tunnel rescue operations, has already been deployed in Nepal. The team is expected to assist local authorities in areas where conventional rescue methods may not be enough.

China is also preparing to send a specialised tunnel-rescue team to Nepal. Alongside rescue personnel, Kathmandu has asked for technical assistance to locate people who may still be trapped, carry out rapid forensic and DNA testing and arrange additional mortuary facilities.

The requests highlight the increasingly complex nature of the rescue effort, particularly as authorities continue to recover bodies that are difficult to identify.

Over 4450 people rescued

Despite the enormous loss of life, rescue teams have managed to evacuate more than 4450 people, including over 187 foreign nationals.

Operations are currently focused on Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Chitwan, while officials continue checking reports of missing people. Authorities are also working to establish a clearer picture of the total casualties as information comes in from remote and badly damaged locations.

Nepal has rejected suggestions that it turned away foreign help, stressing that the destruction is too widespread for the country to manage the response alone.

Roads, bridges and power projects damaged

The floods have caused extensive damage to roads, bridges, homes, hydropower projects and other key infrastructure. India has already sent around 57 tonnes of relief material, while China, Japan, Australia and several other countries have contributed emergency assistance.

Nepal's Finance Minister has estimated that rebuilding could cost between USD 4 billion and USD 5 billion, pointing to the huge financial challenge ahead.

Search operations resumed on Saturday after bad weather and concerns about an overflowing lake near the Nepal-Tibet border forced a temporary halt. Officials are also keeping watch on other upstream lakes.

Around 626 bodies have been recovered so far, with some too badly decomposed for immediate identification. Authorities plan to use DNA testing, while the Chitwan district administration said in a notice, 'DNA samples will be collected, and the bodies will be buried in an open space.'

With rescue efforts still underway, Nepal now faces a second challenge: rebuilding communities and infrastructure after the immediate flood emergency ends.