The rains first hit eastern and central Nepal, including the capital, triggering landslides and flash floods.

It has since moved to western Nepal, and reports said large parts of the Nepali plains, known as the Terai, in western Nepal are under floodwaters.

In Chitwan district, about 150 km southwest of Kathmandu, a tourist resort near Chitwan National Park, famous for its Bengal tigers, was under water.

Media reports said dozens of hotels and lodges built for tourists were under about a metre of water after the Rapti River burst its banks.

Landslides and flash floods are common in Nepal during the monsoon season, which lasts from early June to the end of September.