Guwahati: At least 682 people have died in floods near Nepal’s border with China and in Tibet, while 287 Indians remain missing in Nepal, according to officials on Saturday. India has expanded its rescue and relief efforts as the search continues and the risk of more flooding remains.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said four Indian nationals were rescued from the Rasuwa hydropower project on Saturday. It said 320 Indians in Nepal had been unreachable as of Friday, while around 400 Indians stranded in Tibet had been traced and found safe.

Another 100 people of Indian origin holding other nationalities could not be contacted.

Nepal reported 675 flood-related deaths this week, according to the country’s disaster authority on Saturday. Seven more fatalities were reported in Tibet after Wednesday’s disaster, taking the overall combined death toll to 682.

Rescue teams are continuing operations as authorities remain alert to the possibility of further flooding.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called on the Centre to send humanitarian and disaster-relief aid to Nepal without delay.

Nepal has asked India and China to provide Bailey bridges to help restore connectivity after floods damaged roads and bridges in the Himalayan region, the country’s foreign minister said, according to Reuters.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 153 Indians who had been stranded in Tibet entered Nepal safely. Another 21 Indians rescued from flood-hit areas reached New Delhi on Friday.

India has sent 57.5 tonnes of emergency supplies to Nepal using three military aircraft since Wednesday. An 11-member team of doctors and paramedics and a reconnaissance team have also been deployed.

India has offered Bailey bridges and technical teams to help restore connectivity in Nepal. The country has also offered National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and equipment for search and rescue operations.

Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah said more than 15,000 personnel had been deployed for rescue work. He rejected reports that Nepal had refused foreign assistance and said the government was working with India, China and other countries.

Rescuers are searching tunnels and hydropower projects for people who may still be trapped. Efforts are also underway to repair damaged bridges and reopen roads.

The disaster has severely affected Nepal’s hydropower sector, with eight projects reported damaged or disrupted. More than 300 people trapped at the Trishuli-1 hydropower project were airlifted to safety.

Unstable terrain and the formation of a large lake near the Rasuwagadhi border crossing have added to the difficulties facing rescue teams. The lake formed after debris blocked the Lhende River.

China’s Ministry of Water Resources said the lake contained around two million cubic metres of water by Thursday morning. It could accumulate another three million cubic metres within three days.

Seismic and satellite assessments indicate that the disaster began with the collapse of a glacier and the rock beneath it, producing a 5.2-magnitude seismic event.

The surge that followed carried water, ice, rock and mud through settlements, destroying homes, roads and bridges.

Authorities are monitoring the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers amid warnings of further flooding.

Nepal may require several billion dollars for reconstruction following the extensive damage to roads, bridges and other key infrastructure, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle said.