At least 101 people have died and 64 are missing in Nepal after flooding and landslides caused by persistent rains, authorities said.
Rain began Friday night and continued into Saturday, inundating low-lying areas of Nepal's capital Kathmandu with surging floodwaters.
“The death toll has reached 101 and 64 people are missing,” police spokesperson Dhan Bahadur Karki told AFP early Sunday.
“The death toll is likely to rise further as search and rescue operations progress in the affected areas,” he added.
The Kathmandu Valley recorded 240 millimeters (9.4 inches) of rain in the 24 hours ending Saturday morning, the country's weather department told the Kathmandu Post newspaper.
This is the heaviest rainfall recorded in the capital since at least 1970, the report said.
At least 34 of the dead were in Kathmandu, Interior Ministry spokesperson Rishiram Tiwari said on Saturday.
He said all branches of the country's security forces, including the military, have been ordered to cooperate in rescue operations.
Several roads were closed due to landslides caused by the rain. Tiwari said three expressways, including the important Prithvi Expressway connecting Kathmandu with other parts of the country, were closed due to landslides and heavy equipment was being used to clear them.
The government had issued flood warnings across the country warning of heavy rain.
Buses were prohibited from driving on expressways at night, and cars were also prohibited. Security forces were ordered to be on high alert.
Home Minister Ramesh Rekhak told reporters that authorities were still gathering information on the impact of the floods.
“The government's priority at the moment is to rescue people and help those affected,” Rekaku said.
Many homes in Kathmandu were flooded, forcing residents to move to the top floors. Large areas in the south of the city were flooded, and military helicopters were used to rescue four people who were unable to leave their homes.
Most areas of Kathmandu have been without power or internet for some time.
The monsoon season, which brings heavy rains, begins in June and usually ends by mid-September.
The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
