Flooding and landslides caused by continuous rainfall have killed at least 101 people in Nepal while 64 people are missing, officials have said.
Rain began pouring down on Friday night and continued into Saturday, with low-lying neighbourhoods in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, inundated by surging floodwaters.
“The death toll has reached 101, and 64 people are missing,” police spokesperson Dan Bahadur Karki told AFP early on Sunday.
“There is likely to be an increase in the death toll as our search and rescue mission proceeds in the affected areas,” he added.
The Kathmandu valley recorded 240 millimetres (9.4 inches) of rain in the 24 hours to Saturday morning, the country’s weather bureau told the Kathmandu Post newspaper.
It was the highest rainfall recorded in the capital since at least 1970, the report said.
At least 34 of the dead were in Kathmandu, according to home ministry spokesperson Rishiram Tiwari on Saturday.
He said all divisions of security forces in the country including the army have been ordered to help in the rescue efforts.
Several roads were blocked by landslides triggered by the rainfall. Three highways, including the key Prithvi highway, connecting Kathmandu to the rest of the country, have been blocked by landslides, and heavy equipment is being used to try to open the routes, said Tiwari.
The government had issued flood warnings across the country warning of massive rainfall.
Buses were banned from travelling at night on highways and cars were discouraged. Security forces were ordered to high alert.
Home minister Ramesh Lekhak told reporters that officials are still collecting information on the effects of the flooding.
“The government’s priority right now is to rescue the people and help those who have been affected,” Lekhak said.
Many houses were flooded in Kathmandu and residents forced to move to top floors. A huge area on the southern side of the city was mostly flooded and an army helicopter was used to pick up four people who were unable to leave their houses.
Most of Kathmandu was without power and internet for a period of time.
The monsoon season that brings heavy rainfall began in June and usually ends by mid-September.
Associated Press and Agence France-Press contributed to this report