KATHMANDU, Nepal – Rescuers in Nepal have pulled dozens of bodies from buses and other vehicles buried in rubble near the capital Kathmandu, as the death toll from floods rose to at least 129 and dozens were missing, officials said Sunday.
The weather improved on Sunday following three days of stormy rain, and rescue and clean-up efforts are underway. Kathmandu remained closed on Sunday as three main roads leading out of the city were blocked by landslides.
The rescuers took out 14 dead bodies in one night from two buses that were heading to Kathmandu when the soil that buried them collapsed. Another 23 bodies were pulled from vehicles on Sunday at the same location, 16 kilometers from Kathmandu, and workers are searching for others who may have been buried.
A statement from the Nepalese police said that 86 other people were injured in the floods and landslides and 62 were missing. The death toll was expected to rise as reports came in from villages in the mountainous country.
Residents of southern Kathmandu, which was hit by floods on Saturday, were cleaning their houses as the water started to recede. At least 34 people have died in Kathmandu, which was the worst affected by the floods.
Police and soldiers were helping with rescue efforts, and large machines were being used to remove landslides from the roads. The government has announced that it will close schools and colleges across Nepal for the next three days.
The rainy season starts in June and usually ends in mid-September.