66 people died and many more were lost in floods and landslides

At least 66 people have died and another 69 are missing, officials said, after heavy rain in Nepal caused floods and landslides.

The death toll in central Asia is likely to rise as the rains – which have hit the valley around the capital, Kathmandu – are expected to continue until Tuesday.

Thousands of homes near rivers are flooded and many roads are closed, and video has emerged of people trapped on rooftops.

The amount of rain in a short period of time – more than 200mm (7.9in) since Friday evening – has flooded almost every river in the Kathmandu Valley, where many have died.

Landslides have also caused many deaths.

Five people, including a pregnant woman and a four-year-old girl, were killed when a house collapsed due to a landslide in Bhaktapur, east of Kathmandu, state media reported.

Two bodies have been pulled from a bus buried in a landslide in Dhading, west of Kathmandu. 12 people, including the driver, were said to be on board.

Six football players were also killed by a landslide at a training center run by the All Nepal Football Association in Makwanpur, southwest of the capital.

Others were swept away by the floods.

In another shocking incident, four rescuers were swept away by the Nakkhu River south of the Kathmandu Valley.

“For hours they kept asking for help,” Jitendra Bhandari, an eyewitness, told the BBC. “We couldn’t do anything.”

Three of these people were rescued from the river, but one is still missing.

Hari Om Malla lost his truck after it was submerged in water in Kathmandu.

He told the BBC that water had “entered” the toilet as it rained heavily on Friday night.

“We jumped out, swam, ran away – but my wallet, purse and mobile phone were washed away by the river. I have nothing now. We stayed all night in the cold.”

So far, more than 2,000 people have been rescued from the floods, and at least 200 houses have been damaged, according to state-run Radio Nepal.

The Ministry of Home Affairs in Nepal said that since Saturday 60 people have been injured.

Private houses, offices, shopping centers, hospitals and police stations were seen to be full of videos posted on social media.

Government spokesman Prithvi Subba Gurung told the state-owned Nepal Television Corporation that the floods also broke water pipes, disrupted telephone lines and power lines.

According to state media, 10,000 police officers, as well as volunteers and members of the army, have been mobilized as part of the search and rescue efforts.

The government of Nepal has urged people to avoid unnecessary travel, and has banned road travel at night in the Kathmandu Valley to reduce road accidents.

Many highways – including those connecting the Kathmandu Valley to the rest of the country – are closed in many places.

Air travel was also affected on Friday and Saturday, with many domestic flights delayed or cancelled.

Monsoon season brings severe floods and landslides every year in Nepal.

However, scientists say that rainfall events are becoming more intense due to climate change.

A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, while warmer ocean waters can energize storm systems, making them more volatile.