At least 101 people have been killed and 64 are missing after floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains in Nepal, especially in the capital Kathmandu.

A police spokesman confirmed the toll to Agence France-Presse (AFP), stressing that “it is likely to rise as search and rescue operations continue in the affected areas.”

The Kathmandu Valley experienced the heaviest rainfall on record since 1970, according to the Nepal Meteorological Service. Rivers overflowed, flooding homes near the banks.

“It’s scary. I have never seen such destruction before,” said 34-year-old Mahamad Sabuddin, owner of a motorcycle workshop. Several residents took refuge on the roofs of buildings to escape the rushing waters.

The monsoons, from June to September, cause death and destruction every year in southern Asia, but experts point out that climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

More than 220 people have lost their lives in Nepal this year due to floods and landslides.