Nepalese foreign minister fears more deaths as search operations continue

Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said Thursday that he fears more deaths as rescue workers struggle to access remote mountainous areas devastated by deadly flash floods and mudslides.

Khanal told CBS News that he is "definitely scared that there'll be more loss of lives" due to the destruction of entire villages, towns and hydropower plants.

He said severe damage in Nuwakot, a rugged district in northern Nepal, has cut off physical connectivity. Because roads and bridges have been completely swept away, helicopters are the primary means of reaching isolated communities, said Khanal.

The disaster, which struck the Nepal-China border Aug. 26, has killed more than 1,200 victims. Nearly 4,757 remain missing, including 541 in China.

Khanal emphasized that rescue teams are working purely from a "humanitarian perspective," with no discrimination between local and foreign citizens.