The bodies of dozens of people buried under landslides were recovered by rescuers in Nepal yesterday raising the death toll from floods to 129.

Another 86 people were injured and 62 still missing in the flooding triggered by two days of monsoon rains.

Rescuers using picks and shovels cleared away mud and pulled out 14 bodies from two buses. Another 23 bodies were pulled from a nearby spot. The buses were headed to the capital Kathmandu, where at least 34 people were also killed.

Floods inundated residential areas on Saturday and landslides blocked three highways connecting Kathmandu to the rest of the country. Some parts of the capital reported rain of almost 13 inches (up to 322.2 mm). 

Kumar Tamang, a resident of Kathmandu, said he and his family had fled their shack by a riverbank as water rushed into their home.

“This morning, we returned and everything looks different. We couldn’t even open the doors to our house, it was jammed with mud. Yesterday, we were afraid that the water would kill us, but today we have no water to clean,” the 40-year-old said.

Rishi Ram Tiwari, a home ministry spokesman, said more than 3,000 people have been rescued. 

Floods and landslides are common across South Asia during the monsoon season – which in Nepal, usually ends by mid-September. Scientists say climate change is making floods more frequent and intense.

Arun Bhakta Shrestha, an environmental risk official at the centre said: “I’ve never before seen flooding on this scale in Kathmandu.”

In a statement, the centre said haphazard infrastructure puts residents at risk and the impact of the heavy rainfall was more severe because of poor drainage linked to unplanned settlements and buildings on floodplains.