Entire towns were wiped out as catastrophic floodwaters tore through the tranquil Himalayan valley, leaving tens of thousands devastated. Four days later, the official count of missing people jumped to over 2,400, more than double the previous day. The death toll rose to over 600 and was expected to climb. Morgues downstream were overwhelmed, forcing makeshift arrangements.

"In living memory, we haven't seen a mountain hazard event like this," said Kamal Kishore, the United Nations' top official for disaster risk reduction. "The impact on lives, livelihoods, buildings, infrastructure, bridges, hydroelectric projects, power generation is really immense."

The recovery is daunting for Nepal, one of the poorest countries, heavily reliant on tourism and remittances. Scientists warned of flooding from glacier-formed lakes. China reported a barrier lake near the Nepal-Tibet border had begun overflowing, prompting alerts. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV later said the breach risk had gradually decreased.

Rescue efforts focused on swept-away hydropower plants, with army teams recovering workers from muddy tunnels. Balendra Shah, 36, the prime minister, visited destruction sites and deployed over 30,000 security forces. After initially declining foreign aid, the government eased restrictions by Friday.