Search and rescue operations backed by helicopters and drones continued Thursday as the death toll from devastating flash floods along the Nepal-China border rose to 362, with more than 1,300 people missing and communication lines disrupted.

Nepalese police confirmed 359 deaths and said 826 people were missing, including tourists, foreign nationals, civilian officials, soldiers, police and residents, the Kathmandu Post reported.

Nepal's Prime Minister Balen Shah Thursday also visited Bidur in Nuwakot district to inspect the affected areas.

According to the Nepal Tourism Board, more than 650 foreign and local tourists were missing on Nepal's side of the border.

They include 65 from the US, 53 from Ukraine, 51 from Malaysia, 35 from Australia, 33 from the UK, 25 from Canada, nine each from Singapore and South Korea, and eight from Germany.

The Indian government said Thursday that 288 of its nationals remained "uncontactable" on the Nepalese side following the natural disaster.

Authorities in Beijing confirmed three deaths and said 558 people remained missing in Tibet, which Beijing identifies as Xizang Autonomous Region.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said 260 foreign nationals were among those missing.

China's Foreign Ministry also said that 100 Chinese nationals were missing on the Nepalese side of the border due to flash floods.

Nepalese government declared Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading “disaster crisis areas” for three months.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority asked helicopter and drone operators to coordinate rescue efforts with district administrations, security agencies and local governments.

It also advised stranded residents to light fires and produce smoke to signal their locations.

Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told reporters the missing Indians include 73 nationals working on the Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project.

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

The floods were likely triggered by a large chunk of ice breaking off a Himalayan glacier about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) northeast of the Rasuwa-Rasuwagadhi border crossing, according to satellite imagery.

The collapse sent tons of ice and rock tumbling into the Bhotekoshi River below.

The Nepalese government said it was relocating displaced residents and mobilizing the army and private helicopter operators for search and rescue operations.

The Nepalese Army has deployed hundreds of soldiers and other military assets, including choppers to airlift people to safety.

Chitwan district in Bagmati province recorded the highest number of deaths, with 64, followed by Dhading with 27 and Nawalparasi East with 22.

Nepal Police said 28 officers were also still missing.

According to initial reports, the floods destroyed 19 bridges and a 40-kilometer (25-mile) stretch of a key highway, severing transportation routes and complicating rescue efforts.

Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said the floods caused “extreme damage” in several districts, cautioning that only preliminary information was available.

He called for heightened alertness along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli riverbanks in Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan districts, where risks remained high.

India, China and the World Bank have moved to coordinate financial assistance for rescue, relief and reconstruction efforts in flood-affected areas, according to Nepal’s Finance Ministry.

India’s External Affairs Minister said Thursday morning that New Delhi has sent a second plane carrying 37.5 tonnes of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief material, medicines and food packets for Nepal.

At least three people were killed and 558 remained missing in China’s Gyirong County following the mudslide disaster, Chinese state media reported.

The mudslide struck Gyirong Port in southwestern Xizang Autonomous Region, commonly known as Tibet, Beijing-based Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday.

A directing group from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army was dispatched to the affected region Thursday to coordinate joint rescue operations by military personnel.

The Gyirong border crossing is the main crossing point for tourists and traffic between China and Nepal.

State Grid Xizang Electric Power Company Limited was assembling emergency power supplies in Gyirong town, according to the report.

China’s Ministry of Emergency Management and National Fire and Rescue Administration dispatched more than 100 firefighters and rescue personnel to the disaster-hit area.

The first chartered plane carrying a rescue team arrived at an airport in Xigaze city early Thursday.(AA)