Death toll from the floods in Nepal has risen to 547; Latvians remain among the missing

KATHMANDU - At least 547 people have died in flash floods caused by a glacier collapse in Nepal, local police announced Friday.

Chinese authorities had previously confirmed that at least five more people had died in neighboring Beijing-controlled Tibet.

Thus, the total death toll from the disaster that struck the border region between Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday has reached 552.

Meanwhile, Indian authorities have recovered seven bodies from a river flowing from Nepal; they are believed to be victims of the devastating floods.

More than 1,400 people, including hundreds of foreign tourists, are still missing.

Among the missing are several dozen Latvian nationals.

Nepalese police have reported that 3,253 people, many of whom are injured, have been evacuated from the disaster zone by helicopter. More than 150 victims have been taken to hospitals in Kathmandu, as well as in the Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts.

A police spokesperson told the DPA news agency that authorities still do not have a clear picture of the number of missing persons and that it will take several more days to fully assess the extent of the disaster.

Currently, according to data from the Nepalese authorities, 977 people are listed as missing.

Many of the victims have not yet been identified because the bodies have been severely disfigured by powerful streams of water and mud.