Landslides kill 6 more as rains batter northern India

ANKARA

At least six more people have been killed in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, as heavy monsoon rains continue to batter northern India, taking the overall toll along with in the neighboring Punjab state to 371 since the end of June, according to officials.

A landslide hit the Mandi district of Himalayan Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday in which six people were killed, Amar Negi, a senior official in the region, told reporters on Wednesday.

Himachal Pradesh in northern India has witnessed massive damages since June after the monsoon arrived in India.

As of Wednesday, a statement by the Himachal disaster authorities said, the rain-related deaths which include landslides have reached 341 in the state.

Amid fresh rains, there have been multiple landslides in the state, according to officials.

The Indian Meteorological department had on Tuesday night predicted moderate to intense rainfall in northern states including likely Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana.

In Punjab state, torrential monsoon rains have also triggered devastating floods, with officials stating that 30 people have so far died and thousands were displaced.

According to official data, over 300,000 people have been affected due to the floods in the state.

The incessant rain in most parts of Punjab, overflowing rivers and controlled release of water from the reservoirs of dams have now affected all the 23 districts of the state, said the public broadcaster All India Radio.

Monsoon rains in the past few weeks have wreaked havoc, causing a number of cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides in several areas of northern India. Heavy monsoon rains usually begin in India in June and end in September.