At least 100 dead and dozens missing after days of heavy rain

Major floods and landslides in Nepal have killed more than 120 people across the Himalayan country, officials reported.

Dozens were still missing on Sunday, two days after heavy rains inundated the valley surrounding the capital, Kathmandu.

Residents said they “jumped from one roof to another” to escape the rising water levels that flooded thousands of homes. Meanwhile, rescue crews are still carrying out rescue operations on helicopters and rubber boats.

Although the rain was expected to continue until Tuesday, there were signs of easing somewhat on Sunday.

Some residents were able to return to their mud-covered homes on Sunday, while others remain isolated, and main roads between towns and villages remain closed.

So far, more than 3,000 people have been rescued, according to a government spokesman.

But flash floods, coupled with landslides, caused the death of many people. Authorities said on Sunday that more than 60 people were still missing.

Five people, including a pregnant woman and a four-year-old girl, died when a house collapsed under a landslide in Bhaktapur city, east of Kathmandu, state media reported.

Two bodies have been recovered from a bus buried by a landslide in Dhading, west of Kathmandu. It was said that 12 people, including the driver, were on board the plane.

Six footballers were also killed in a landslide at a training center run by the All Nepal Football Federation in Makwanpur, southwest of the capital.

Others were swept away by floodwaters. In one dramatic scene, four people were swept away by the Nakhu River in the southern Kathmandu Valley.

“For hours, they kept calling for help,” Jitendra Bhandari, an eyewitness, told the BBC. “We couldn’t do anything.”

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

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

“We jumped, swam and got away from him – but my purse, bag and mobile phone were washed away in the river. I have nothing now. We stayed up all night in the cold.”

Another person, Bishnu Maya Shretha, said the extent of the floods was more severe this season.

“Last time we escaped, but nothing happened. But this time all the houses were flooded.

“As the water level rose, we had to cut the roof and get out. We jumped from roof to roof and finally reached a concrete house.”

Government spokesman Prithvi Subba Gurung told state-run Nepal Television Corporation that the floods also broke water pipes and affected telephone and electricity lines.

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

The Nepalese government urged people to avoid unnecessary travel and banned night driving in the Kathmandu Valley.

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

The monsoon season brings floods and landslides every year in Nepal.

However, scientists say rainfall events are becoming more intense due to climate change.

A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, while warm ocean waters can activate storm systems, making them more turbulent.