66 dead and dozens missing in floods and landslides

At least 66 people have died and 69 others are missing, officials say, after intense rainfall in Nepal caused flooding and landslides.

The death toll in the South Asian nation is likely to rise as the rains – which have predominantly affected the valley surrounding the capital, Kathmandu – are expected to persist through to Tuesday.

Thousands of homes situated near rivers have been flooded and most highways have been blocked, while video footage has emerged of people stranded on rooftops.

The volume of rainfall within a short timespan – over 200mm (7.9in) since Friday evening – has inundated almost all rivers in the Kathmandu valley, where many of the deaths have occurred.

Landslides have also caused a number of the fatalities.

Five people, including a pregnant woman and a four-year-old girl, died when a house collapsed due to a landslide in Bhaktapur, to the east of Kathmandu, state media reports.

Two bodies have been removed from a bus buried by a landslide in Dhading, west of Kathmandu. Twelve people, including the driver, were said to be onboard.

Six football players were also killed by a landslide at a training centre operated by the All Nepal Football Association in Makwanpur, to the south-west of the capital.

Others have been swept up in floodwaters.

In one dramatic scene, four people desperate to be rescued were washed away by the Nakkhu River in the southern Kathmandu valley.

“For hours, they kept on pleading for help,” Jitendra Bhandari, an eyewitness, told the BBC. “We could do nothing.”

Three of those people were rescued downstream, but one is still missing.

Hari Om Malla lost his truck after it was submerged by water in Kathmandu.

He told the BBC that water had “gushed” into the cabin as the rain intensified on Friday night.

“We jumped out, swam, and got away from it – but my purse, bag and mobile have been swept away by the river. I have nothing now. We stayed the whole night in the cold.”

So far, more than 2,000 people have been rescued from floodwaters, while at least 200 houses have been damaged, according to the state-run Radio Nepal.

The Nepalese home affairs ministry said that as of Saturday, 60 people had been injured.

Private houses, offices, shopping centres, hospitals and police posts were seen inundated in videos posted in social media.

Government spokesperson Prithvi Subba Gurung told the state-run Nepal Television Corporation that the flooding had also broken waterpipes, and affected telephone and power lines.

According to state media, 10,000 police officers, as well as volunteers and members of the army, have been mobilised as part of search and rescue efforts.

The Nepalese government urged people to avoid unnecessary travel, and banned road travel at night in the Kathmandu valley to minimise road accidents.

Most highways – including the ones connecting Kathmandu valley with the rest of the country – have been blocked in several places.

Air travel was also affected on Friday and Saturday, with many domestic flights delayed or cancelled.

Monsoon season brings tragic floods and landslides every year in Nepal.

Scientists say, though, that rainfall events are becoming more intense due to climate change.

A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, while warmer ocean waters can energise storm systems, making them more erratic.