The Jhimruk and Mandavi rivers flooded after days of rain and poured over Sunday on Syauliwang village in Pyuthan district, 240 kilometers (150 miles) west of Kathmandu.

"Eighteen people of three families are unaccounted for," said Ram Prasad Ghimire, the district's chief administrator, who called it the area's worst flooding in 40 years.

"The floods washed away a school and parts of the forest outside the village. Sand was dumped on eight hectares (20 acres) of rice fields," he said, estimating damage in the thousands of dollars.

He said a large number of dead fish were found strewn near the river banks.

"It's difficult to know what the situation in the village is like now because telephones have been disrupted," Ghimere said.

At least 202 people have died in Nepal since monsoon rains began in mid-June, according to officials' figures.

TERRA.WIRE