40 killed in floods and landslides northern India

Heavy rainfall overwhelmed hundreds of villages, as mud houses were swept away, roads were covered by water, bridges were destroyed, and rescuers raced to help stranded residents.

Floods and landslides triggered by intense monsoon rains have killed at least 40 people in northern India over the last three days, and others are missing.

Heavy rainfall overwhelmed hundreds of villages, as mud houses were swept away, roads were covered by water, bridges were destroyed, and rescuers raced to help stranded residents.

In the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, at least 36 people died and hundreds took shelter in relief camps after being displaced.

Four people were killed and 13 were missing in the neighboring state of Uttarakhand in a series of cloudbursts – where extreme amounts of rainfall in a short period of time.

Ranjit Kumar Sinha, an official in Uttarakhand’s disaster management department, said: “We have deployed choppers to rescue people who are stuck in remote areas due to rain-related incidents. The rescue operation is in full swing.”

More heavy rainfall is forecast for the region in the next two days, said the Indian meteorological department.

Agencies