Flooding deaths in Nepal reach 193 as recovery work is stepped up

The number of people killed by flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall over the weekend in Nepal has reached 193 while recovery and rescue work has been stepped up, officials said Monday.

A police statement said there were 31 people who were still reported missing and 96 people were injured across the Himalayan nation.

At least three buses stuck in traffic jam were buried by a landslide that killed three dozen people at a point on the highway about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Kathmandu.

Because of the blocked road, people in the buses and other vehicles were sleeping when the landslide buried the vehicles.

Kathmandu had remained cut off all weekend as the three highways out of the city were blocked by landslides.

Workers were able to temporarily open up the key Prithvi highway, removing rocks, mud and trees that had been washed from the mountains.

Weather improved on Sunday and Monday, allowing rescue and recovery work to be stepped up.

Residents in the southern part of Kathmandu, which was inundated on 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 t hree days.

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