46 dead after heavy rains, landslides in northern India

By BISWAJEET BANERJEE
Associated Press

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — At least 46 people have died and several are missing after floods triggered by heavy rains hit the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. Rescuers worked through the night to retrieve bodies stuck in debris and to evacuate those in vulnerable areas. The hilly state has seen incessant rains for the past three days, flooding roads, destroying bridges and causing landslides in which several homes were washed away. The Indian Meteorological Department says the rains are likely to recede in Uttarakhand on Wednesday, but warns of heavy downpours in the country’s northeastern and southern regions. In February, flash floods killed nearly 200 people and washed away houses in Uttarakhand. In 2013, thousands of people were killed in floods there.