Nepal flood rescue recovery efforts keep hope alive for desperate families as 4,200 people remain missing

Updated on: August 31, 2026 / 10:04 AM EDT / CBS News

Kathmandu, Nepal — Five days after a rocky mountainside and the glacier it supported collapsed near Nepal's border with Tibet, unleashing torrents of flash floodwater, mud and debris on the valleys below that swept away everything in their path, rescuers were still searching Monday for reasons to hope.

Over the weekend, a 6-year-old girl was miraculously pulled from the mud-covered rubble, fueling hope that more of the 4,200 people still listed as missing in the wake of the disaster could be found alive.

Nepal's national disaster agency said Monday that at least 903 people had been killed, and the fear is that the toll will spiral as recovery efforts continue along the scars carved into the landscape by the raging floods.

But the danger hasn't passed. The sacred Trishuli River was surging again Monday, this time from heavy monsoon rains that have spurred search and rescue teams to try and move even faster to find anyone still alive in the ruins.

Samarth Srivastav was among the thousands of people desperately hoping a loved one might still emerge from the layers of thick mud and rubble in the Himalayan…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/