Heavy rains in Nepal triggered landslides, lightning, and flash floods killing at least 44 people and leaving five missing, officials said on Sunday.

Thirty-seven people died after multiple villages were swept away in the eastern Ilam district bordering India, Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said.

Six members of one family were crushed when a landslide buried their home overnight, local officials added.

Authorities said 114 people had been rescued, Ilam's assistant administrative officer Bholanath Guragai said, though continued rainfall and blocked roads were hampering relief efforts.

Meanwhile, three people were killed by lightning strikes in southern Nepal and one person died in flooding in Udayapur district.

Landslides cut off Kathmandu

"Domestic flights are largely disrupted but international flights are operating normally,” Rinji Sherpa, a spokesperson for Kathmandu airport, told Reuters.

Major highways linking Kathmandu to other regions were shut after landslides destroyed or blocked sections of road. Floods also inundated many houses in the capital.

Prime Minister Sushila Karki said government agencies were "fully prepared for rescue and relief."

"Your safety is our utmost concern. Do not hesitate to seek necessary assistance," she said, adding that Sunday and Monday have been declared public holidays with advice for people not to travel unless necessary.

The weather department warned that rain is likely to continue until Monday, following which the government declared a national holiday till then.

Last year around the same time, monsoon-related floods and landslides time killed 224 people and left 158 injured.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery