Rescue teams in Nepal have recovered four bodies from a hydropower plant tunnel as the search continues for thousands of people still missing nearly three weeks after a devastating flash flood that killed hundreds.

Families of those missing have been demanding answers from authorities about the whereabouts of their loved ones.

Nepal’s army said four bodies and a body part were recovered Wednesday from the Chilime Hydropower plant, located on the Trishuli River, which flooded on Aug. 26.

The country’s disaster management agency said five more bodies had been located at another site and equipment was being sent there to recover them.

The number of bodies recovered since the disaster has reached 1,403, while 6,150 people remain missing, according to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

Families have been urging the government to speed up rescue and recovery operations, particularly in the tunnels.

They have organized rallies and many are calling on the government to officially declare the missing people dead. Such declarations would allow families to obtain death certificates, complete legal procedures and religious rites, and gain some emotional closure.

At Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, photographs of hundreds of missing people have been placed on the lobby walls. Relatives regularly visit the hospital hoping to find information about their loved ones.

Usha Khatri’s husband, Indra Bahadur, was working as a cook with a group of pilgrims when the flood struck near the Nepal-China border.

Since then, she has traveled to several towns along the river where bodies have been recovered in search of her husband.

“The government has not done much for us. They have not met us or given us any information or any assurances. I am by myself searching for my husband,” Khatri said.

The flooding damaged 13 hydropower plants, with many workers swept away or trapped by the powerful currents and debris.

Locating trapped workers has been a priority for government agencies and rescue teams. However, thick mud, debris and damaged infrastructure have made it difficult for rescuers to reach the tunnels.

Two Nepali workers were rescued alive on Sept. 4, several days after the flooding. A Chinese worker was also pulled alive from another location the following day.

The Nepalese government estimates that rebuilding the areas affected by the disaster will cost about $4.78 billion.