Flooding and landslides in Nepal kill at least 129 and dozens more missing

Rescuers recovered dozens of bodies from buses and other vehicles that were buried in landslides near the capital Kathmandu, as the death toll from flooding rose to at least 129 with dozens missing, officials said on Sunday.

The weather improved on Sunday following three days of monsoon rains, and rescue and clean-up efforts were underway. Kathmandu remained cut off Sunday as three highways out of the city were blocked by landslides.

Rescuers retrieved 14 bodies overnight from two buses that were headed to Kathmandu when a landslide buried them. Another 23 bodies were dug out from vehicles Sunday on the same spot, about 16 kilometres from Kathmandu, and workers searched for others who may have been buried.

A statement by the Nepal police said another 86 people were injured in the flooding and landslides while 62 are missing.

The government announced it was closing schools and colleges across Nepal for the next three days.

The heavy rains, which started on Friday, slowed on Saturday night, but were expected to continue through the weekend.

Last week, the government issued flood warnings across the Himalayan nation warning of massive rainfall. Buses were banned from traveling at night on highways and people were discouraged from driving cars.

The monsoon season began in June and usually ends by mid-September.