Nepal is struggling to recover after torrents of water, mud and debris swept through towns and villages on Wednesday, washing away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects. The death toll crossed 650 on Saturday, according to official figures.

Families of the missing are losing hope with each passing day, even as rescuers work under difficult conditions to find survivors. Outside hospitals, people lined up to check lists of the injured, carefully going through names and photographs. Photographs of the dead were pasted on walls as relatives searched for news.

Scenes in the affected areas show families wading through mud and debris to look for their possessions, a woman carrying a child past damaged buildings, and a dead dog lying amid the wreckage. The floods have caused heavy casualties and widespread destruction, leaving many communities in grief.