Devastating floods near Nepal’s border with China have killed at least 939 people, the country’s disaster authority says, as the death toll continues to rise and rescue efforts enter a sixth day.

Chinese state media has confirmed a further 16 deaths in Tibet, bringing the known regional toll to 955, with 4,471 people still missing on both sides of the border.

Nepal’s latest figures list 3,925 people missing nationwide, including 592 foreigners. Many of the missing are workers from hydropower projects that took the full force of the torrent, although officials say the number of unaccounted-for hydropower staff fell to 639 on Monday from an earlier count of 933.

The disaster agency says 3,333 Nepali citizens remain missing, with some of the worst-hit areas including Nuwakot district, where 1,158 people are unaccounted for, and neighbouring Rasuwa, with 865 missing. The missing also includes 45 army soldiers, 38 police officers and 18 customs and immigration officials.

In neighbouring India, authorities in Uttar Pradesh state say they have recovered 17 bodies from rivers flowing from Nepal, believed to be flood victims, though they are not yet included in the official toll.