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Police say landslides and flooding triggered by heavy rain have killed at least 47 people in southern Nepal and left thousands homeless.

Police spokesman Pushkar Karki said Sunday that he expected the death toll to go up, with around two dozen other people missing and feared dead after three days of heavy downpours in at least nine southern districts of the Himalayan country.

Police said floodwaters toppled telephone towers and power lines, cutting communications and electricity in many areas.

In the eastern city of Biratnagar, the airport was closed after the runway was submerged under more than half a meter (2 feet) of water.

Landslides and flooding are common in the Himalayan region during the monsoon season, which runs from June through September.