At least 21 people have been killed and five remain missing after four days of heavy rain triggered floods and landslides across Nepal, the country’s disaster authority said.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, landslides caused most of the casualties, killing 14 people and leaving five missing. Floods caused four deaths, while continuous heavy rain was blamed for three more.

The severe weather from 24 to 27 September affected 247 families across the country. Officials said 260 homes were completely destroyed and 80 were partly damaged. Around 3,000 people were moved to safer areas as rivers rose and slopes gave way.

The rain followed a low-pressure system from the Bay of Bengal. The Narayani river crossed the nine-metre warning level, entering settlements and forcing fresh warnings for towns along its banks.

Helicopters were used to rescue people trapped in mountain districts. Around 9,000 foreign tourists were also in Nepal during the rains and were advised to stay put until conditions improved.