The death toll from catastrophic flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border has risen sharply to 359, Nepalese police said Thursday, as rescue teams recovered more bodies from mud-caked debris downstream.

Hundreds remain missing, including 288 Indian nationals and over 500 foreign tourists including 30 Canadians, after a sudden torrent of water and sludge tore through several central Nepalese districts on Wednesday. The disaster—triggered by a massive glacial collapse and ice-rock avalanche in the Himalayas—dammed tributaries before unleashing a wall of water that wiped out key bridges, homes, and nearly a dozen hydroelectric facilities.

Emergency crews and Nepalese military units are focusing search efforts on heavily impacted districts, including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and Chitwan. In Chitwan alone, authorities have recovered 132 bodies along the Narayani River system. 

Hospitals in the capital of Kathmandu and surrounding regions are overwhelmed as frantic relatives gather to check posted victim lists and register missing family members. Search and rescue operations remain underway despite damaged infrastructure and disrupted communication networks across the mountain corridors.