Kathmandu, Aug. 28 -- The death toll from Wednesday's devastating Bhotekoshi flood has reached 475, according to police, while hundreds of people remain missing as search teams scour the river system and downstream areas for survivors and bodies.

The flood struck Rasuwa and neighbouring districts of northern Nepal on Wednesday morning, sending a powerful surge of water and debris into the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers. The disaster swept away homes, bridges, roads and other infrastructure, while leaving communities and travellers in some areas cut off from the rest of the country.

The full scale of the disaster remains unclear as authorities continue to reconcile casualty and missing-person reports from different districts.

Among thos...