8 of a family among 10 killed as heavy rains hit northern Indian state

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) – Eight family members were buried alive on Saturday in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh after their home collapsed due to heavy rain, a senior official confirmed.

The bodies of two people were also recovered in the Mandi district of northern Himachal Pradesh state in the afternoon following flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain, Deputy Commissioner Arindam Chaudhary told Anadolu Agency.

Eight bodies of a family were recovered from the debris after a house collapsed in the Gohar sub-division of the district, the official said.

"There were flash floods, landslides in multiple places due to heavy rains. So far, we have recovered 10 bodies. Around 3-5 people are still missing," he said, adding, "A search and rescue operation is underway to find the missing people."

During the current monsoon season, which usually lasts through September, the state has seen heavy rains.

There have been reports of damage to public property and infrastructure in several areas, as well as a railway bridge collapsing in the state's Kangra district, officials said.

Mahesh Palawat, the head of Skymet, an Indian private weather agency, told Anadolu Agency that the monsoon will last until the end of September. "Due to monsoon rains, most of Central India will get rainfall on and off through the first week of September," he said.

In the state of Odisha located on the country’s eastern coast, nearly half a million people have been affected so far by floods due to the heavy rainfall.