Torrential rainfall has unleashed deadly landslides and flash floods across eastern Nepal, sweeping away entire villages and leaving at least 44 people dead and several others missing, officials said Sunday.

The Illam district, near Nepal’s eastern border with India, was the worst affected, where 37 people lost their lives after massive landslides buried homes and roads. Many victims were asleep when the slopes collapsed in the middle of the night, destroying houses and farmland in seconds.

Rescue teams have been struggling to reach remote communities as continuous downpours block roads and trigger more landslides. Helicopters have been deployed for medical evacuations, while soldiers and police are helping move survivors to safer areas.

“We are doing everything possible to rescue people, but the weather and damaged roads are making it extremely difficult,” said local official Madan Shrestha.

In neighboring districts, additional casualties were reported due to flooding and lightning strikes. Major highways linking Kathmandu to eastern Nepal have been closed, and all domestic flights were temporarily grounded because of poor visibility.

The government has issued a severe weather warning for eastern and central Nepal through Monday, urging residents to remain on high alert.

The disaster struck just as thousands of Nepalis were traveling after the Dashain festival, one of the country’s biggest holidays, compounding the chaos and straining emergency resources.

Meteorologists said the rainfall was unusual for early October, as the monsoon season typically ends by mid-September. Experts warn that climate change is intensifying weather extremes in the Himalayas, making landslides and flash floods more frequent and severe.