The death toll from the Nepal floods reached 579, 1,924 missing

The death toll from devastating flash floods triggered by a glacier collapse in Nepal has risen to 579, with 1,924 people still missing, as rescue teams race to find survivors amid fears of further flooding in the Himalayan region.

The disaster, which hit northern Nepal and the neighboring region of Tibet on Wednesday, has affected more than 90,000 people, destroying roads, bridges and other vital infrastructure, and leaving hundreds of foreign tourists and pilgrims missing.

Rescue operations resumed on Friday after a temporary halt due to concerns that a lake formed by flood debris could overflow and release another torrent of water and mud.

Nepalese authorities said the threat had subsided enough that search and rescue teams could return to the affected area, although two barrier lakes upstream were still being monitored for possible flooding.

Flash floods were triggered after glacier collapses sent huge amounts of rock, ice, mud and debris into Himalayan river systems, sweeping away villages and destroying homes, roads, bridges and electrical installations.

The affected route, which connects Kathmandu with Lhasa in Tibet, is popular with climbers and pilgrims, including people traveling to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake.

At least 540 foreigners are among those reported missing in Nepal, according to authorities, and citizens from countries including India, China, the United States, Malaysia, Ukraine, Britain, Australia and Canada have been affected.

China’s Tibet region also recorded five deaths, while 558 people remained missing in Gyirong County, including 260 foreign nationals, according to Chinese authorities.

In northern India, 10 bodies believed to have been swept downstream to Nepal were recovered from a river in Uttar Pradesh, police said.

The scale of the disaster has overwhelmed some health facilities, making it difficult for emergency workers to contain recovered bodies and identify victims.

In Bharatpur, one government building was reported to have been converted into a temporary mortuary after the existing morgue and hospital were unable to accommodate the number of bodies found.

More than 3,700 people have so far been rescued, including survivors trapped inside tunnels at a hydroelectric project under construction.

The disaster also sparked an international response, with several countries offering search and rescue assistance.

India, China, the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have reportedly offered help, although Nepal has said it does not currently need foreign rescue teams.