At least 129 have been confirmed killed as rescuers in Nepal recovered dozens of bodies from buses and other vehicles that were buried in landslides near the capital Kathmandu, officials said Sunday.
The weather improved 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 kilometers (10 miles) 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 death toll was expected to rise as reports came in from villages across the mountainous country.
Residents in the southern part of Kathmandu, which was inundated Saturday, were cleaning up houses as water levels began to recede. At least 34 people were killed in Kathmandu, which was the hardest hit by flooding.
Police and soldiers were assisting with rescue efforts, while heavy equipment was used to clear the landslides from the roads. The government announced it was closing schools and colleges across Nepal for the next three days.
The monsoon season begins in June and usually ends by mid-September.
