Update | 109 killed and scores missing as storms cause landslides in Nepal

The death toll from landslides and flooding triggered by torrential monsoon rains in Nepal and northern India climbed to at least 109 yesterday as tides of water, mud and rocks swept away houses.

Incessant rain has displaced thousands of people in the scenic Himalayan region, reviving memories of a deadly deluge last year that killed more than 5,000 people in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and neighbouring Nepal.

Heavy downpours in Nepal over the past three days had left 1,500 people stranded in waterlogged homes, waiting for rescue by helicopters, said Home Ministry spokesman Laxmi Prasad Dhakal.

The rain has damaged roads across the country's western plains bordering India, with poor visibility hindering helicopter rescue efforts.

"Because of the damage to roads in the area, we can only deliver relief supplies like tents and medicines by helicopter," Dhakal said.

National disaster management chief Yadav Prasad Koirala said: "We have recovered 85 bodies so far, 54 people have suffered injuries due to landslides and flooding over the last three days and 113 are still missing."