Neighbour Bidhnu Karman said the family was trapped inside for around four hours as floodwater surged around the building.

"They were saying goodbye and waving their hands as if it was the end," he said. "But fortunately, they were lucky to stay alive by God's grace, and the house withstood the floods."

Owners Prakash Pandey Pyakurel and Lakshmi Pandey had been at a nearby shop when the flood approached and rushed back to the house, where relatives were still inside.

Karman said he lost all his belongings, including decades of savings, but was grateful to have survived. There has been no formal engineering assessment explaining why the house remained standing.

Nepalese authorities said on Friday that 1,287 bodies had been recovered, 5,083 people remained missing and more than 13,000 had been rescued following the August 26 disaster.

"There was nothing here after the floods. Now they have set up this Tuin, and it is helping our people . We are able to help 150 to 200 people cross each day," former government official Seetharam Baneth said.

The crossing provides an alternative route for isolated communities after the August 26 floods devastated parts of the Trishuli Valley. Authorities said at least 1,287 people have been killed and more than 5,000 remain missing across Nepal.

The disaster was triggered by the collapse of part of a glacier and underlying rock near the Nepal-China border, unleashing flash floods, landslides and debris downstream. Nuwakot is among the worst-hit districts, where damaged infrastructure has complicated relief efforts and access to remote areas.

At Pashupati Aryaghat, part of the Pashupatinath Temple complex, mourners prepared human-shaped effigies from bundles of sacred kusha grass and wrapped them in yellow cloth before performing ritual offerings beside funeral fires .

Some relatives also underwent traditional head-shaving rites as families sought to perform Hindu final rites despite having no bodies to cremate.

"It's just that this was such a massive tragedy – something nobody could have ever imagined. No one had even thought something like this could happen," Ramesh Kadka, a family member of one of the victims, said.

At least 1,204 people have been killed across Nepal, while more than 4,200 remain missing. Search and recovery operations are continuing in devastated areas.

"Some people still haven't found the bodies of their loved ones. People are searching for the bodies," Kadka noted.

For families unable to recover their relatives, sacred kusha grass effigies are being used to represent the missing during the final rites.

Kadka described the difficulties facing families who have recovered only parts of their relatives' remains.

"Some people have found only a hand, some only a leg, and some don't even have the whole body. Even if they find just a hand, they bring it home and perform the final rites for their loved one. It's an incredibly painful and heartbreaking situation for the families," Kadka said.

Authorities have placed unidentified bodies in temporary graves. DNA samples, photographs and other information are being preserved in hopes that the remains can eventually be identified and returned to families.

The August 26 disaster was triggered by a high-altitude glacial collapse, sending water , mud and debris through river valleys near Nepal's border with Tibet.

Across the border in China's Xizang region, authorities have reported 21 deaths, while 541 people remain missing. Rescue crews are continuing operations, with a temporary access road built to reach areas cut off by the disaster.

"Communication lines in that area, they are totally disrupted, and therefore it has been difficult to get in touch with people on the ground," Jaiswal said.

Those out of contact include hydropower workers and pilgrims from several Indian states. Twenty-one Indians from Tamil Nadu have been rescued, while around 200 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims stranded on the Chinese side have requested evacuation assistance.

India has deployed two military aircraft carrying 47.5 tonnes of emergency supplies, including medicines, food and shelter materials. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke with Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah, pledging "all possible humanitarian and relief assistance."

At least 910 people remain missing or out of contact across Nepal after the flood swept through Rasuwa and downstream along the Trishuli and Narayani river systems.

Preliminary reports said the disaster was caused by a partial glacier collapse, triggering a large ice and rock avalanche. At the time of publication, Nepalese authorities reported 567 deaths and nearly 2,000 people missing, while five deaths had been confirmed in Tibet, with 558 people listed as missing. Citizens from more than 20 countries are among those unaccounted for, including eight Russians whose whereabouts were unknown, according to the Russian Embassy in Nepal. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to those affected.

Search and rescue teams are combing through mud and debris across affected communities, while fresh warnings have raised fears of another possible deluge.

China said a "barrier lake" created by the first wave of floodwaters and debris was at risk of breaching.

In Nuwakot district, trucks were partially buried in mud and buildings surrounded by debris as police and rescue workers searched the area and helped people to safety.

Police said 28 bodies had been recovered in Nuwakot by Thursday evening.

Chitwan recorded the highest death toll, with 137 bodies recovered, while another 87 were found in Nawalparasi East. Rescue teams continue searching devastated river corridors for survivors and bodies.

The flood first tore through Rasuwa before surging downstream through the Trishuli and Narayani river systems. Settlements were destroyed, while roads, bridges and other infrastructure were damaged.

Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said preliminary satellite imagery suggested an ice and rock avalanche may have blocked the Lhende River upstream.

The blockage may have created a temporary debris dam that later burst, sending water downstream. Some scientists have suggested a collapsed glacier may have caused the disaster.

Officials said the exact cause remained under investigation.

Authorities said 28 bodies had been recovered in Nuwakot by Thursday evening. Chitwan recorded the highest toll with 137 deaths, followed by Nawalparasi East with 87.

At least 910 people remain missing or out of contact across Nepal, including residents, security personnel and hundreds of domestic and foreign travellers. Rescue teams continue to search devastated areas along the affected river systems.

The flood swept through Rasuwa before surging downstream along the Trishuli and Narayani rivers, destroying settlements and damaging roads, bridges and other infrastructure . Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said preliminary satellite imagery suggested an ice and rock avalanche may have created a temporary debris dam on the Lhende River that later burst.

“We have no any kind of official confirmation of any kind. But looking at the scale of destruction, it looks bad,” he said, adding that the immigration building where the group was believed to have been was washed away.

Sadhguru said the group's leader, Praveen, sent a message at 9:05 saying they had reached the immigration building shortly before the disaster struck. His Nepal phone never became active, leading the foundation to believe the group had not crossed the border. Sadhguru said he had sought assistance through the Indian and Chinese embassies, while the pilgrims' families had been informed.

The floods swept through the mountainous border region on Wednesday, sending water , mud and debris through communities along Nepal's Trishuli river system. Scientists have suggested a collapsed glacier could have triggered the disaster. At least 165 people have been killed, and nearly 1,500 remain missing across Nepal and China's Xizang, including foreign tourists and pilgrims.

Homes, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure were swept away, while around 40 kilometres of roads and dozens of bridges were damaged. Nepal deployed security forces, helicopters and medical teams as rescuers struggled to reach communities cut off by the destruction.

Scientists have suggested the disaster may have been triggered by a collapsed glacier along the border. China's People's Liberation Army Western Theatre Command also deployed a team aboard a Y-20 transport aircraft to coordinate military aviation, medical, engineering and transport units.

At least 292 people have been killed, and more than 1,384 remain unaccounted for across China and Nepal. Chinese authorities have reported three deaths and 558 missing, while Nepal has recorded 289 deaths and more than 826 people still out of contact. More than 1,500 personnel have been mobilised to search for survivors, clear roads and assess the damage.

Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing travelled to the area to oversee the response after President Xi Jinping ordered all-out rescue efforts. Operations remain complicated by unstable terrain, disrupted access and a barrier lake near Gyirong Port, while authorities have warned that further rainfall could trigger additional mudflows and landslides.

Chinese authorities said the mudslide crossed the border from Nepal at around 10:30 local time, causing major casualties at Gyirong Port in Shigatse.

President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out search for the missing, the evacuation of residents at risk and treatment for the injured. He also called for increased monitoring and warnings against further disasters .

Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing travelled to the area to oversee rescue operations.

China activated a Level I emergency response in Xizang, deploying 431 firefighters, 72 vehicles, rescue dogs, life detectors and inflatable boats. A national Level II disaster relief response was also activated.

Across the border in Nepal, a landslide of mud and rock crashed into the Lhende River, triggering severe flooding that swept away homes, roads and other infrastructure. At least 95 people were killed.

The floods left thick mud and debris across parts of a river valley in Rasuwa District, affecting farmland and settlements across the surrounding hillsides.

The Nepal Tourism Board said 384 tourists and travellers were out of contact in Rasuwa, including 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali citizens.

The preliminary list includes travellers from India, Britain, the United States , Malaysia and several other countries.

The floodwaters swept through the Bhote Koshi River corridor on Wednesday morning, hitting Timure and Syafrubesi and damaging roads and bridges leading to the Rasuwagadhi border crossing.

The disaster also affected the border area around Gyirong. Chinese authorities said a mudslide caused major casualties and left people unaccounted for at Gyirong Port at around 10:30.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management deployed hundreds of firefighters and engineering rescue personnel to the affected area, along with emergency equipment and relief supplies.

Nepalese authorities warned residents to stay away from riverbanks along the Bhote Koshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers as rescue teams worked to reach affected communities.

An earthquake was also reported in the Himalayan region on Wednesday. Early reports suggested it may have triggered an ice-and-rock avalanche that blocked a river before a large surge of water broke through and rushed downstream.

Authorities were still working to determine the precise chain of events behind the disaster.

Officials also stressed that the missing-person figures remain preliminary and are being checked with travel agencies, guides, local authorities and security agencies.

They urged people not to assume that those listed as missing were dead until their whereabouts had been confirmed.