Two killed, 28 missing in north India floods

AFP | New Delhi, India

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Heavy monsoon downpours in India's Himalayan foothills triggered flash floods that killed two people, officials said yesterday, with the hunt on for around 28 others still missing. Fatal floods and landslides are common across India during the annual monsoon but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency, intensity and unpredictability.

Rescue crews worked through the night at two flood sites in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh. Mandi district official Madan Kumar told AFP that rescuers had recovered two bodies. "One other person is seriously injured and eight people are missing," said Kumar. "Several houses have been damaged."

In neighboring Shimla district, a popular tourist destination in India's rugged north, local official Abhishek Verma said rescue crews were searching for around 20 more people believed missing.