Nepal flood rescue efforts intensify as death toll exceeds 540

Rescue operations are intensifying in Nepal after catastrophic flash floods and landslides killed more than 540 people and left over 1,000 others missing, as Nepal and China work to respond to the disaster.

Rescuers pulled survivors from thick, dark brown mud, while helicopters evacuated stranded people to safety, Caliber.Az reports, citing CBS News.

Authorities said more than 3,000 people had been airlifted to safety in Kathmandu and other areas.

However, local Nepalese media reported that the number of missing people could be as high as 12,000, far exceeding official figures.

Nepal Police issued a new alert on Friday after receiving reports that a dam on the Tibetan side of the border had burst. Security personnel, rescue teams and relief workers were instructed to remain on high alert and move to safe areas immediately if necessary.

It was unclear whether the warning was linked to concerns over flooding from an overflowing barrier lake formed behind a debris dam created by the initial flash floods in the high-altitude areas on the Chinese side of the Himalayas.

Nepal Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle said the rescue operation "hasn't stopped" but was continuing under heightened alert.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov