Kathmandu - The muddy, rising waters of a river in Nepal have so far killed 17 people and left 47 missing, authorities said on Sunday as residents coped with a second day of flash flooding.
Television news footage showed the Seti River transformed into a sea of mud in Nepal's western district of Kaski.
The flood was caused by a mid-week avalanche high up the valley, on the slopes of the Machhapuchre (Fishtail) peak in the Annapurna range of mountains. As the mass of mud flowed down the valley, the river burst its banks on Saturday.
Maria Dubinska, a Ukrainian citizen who was rescued on Saturday, told reporters that her father Oleksandr Dubinskiy and her relatives Alla Polonchuk and Ivan Malaknov were among those missing in the flood.
The flooding occurred near the tourist town of Pokhara, about 200km west of the capital Kathmandu. The muddy water washed away settlements, bridges, vehicles, trees and farmland.
Picknickers, school children and farmers were among the dead and missing.
The police and army were continuing their search operations, despite dwindling hopes of finding anyone alive.
Essential services such as piped water and electricity were cut off in many villages and towns because of the flooding. - Sapa-dpa