Heavy rains and mountain disasters kill scores in India and Nepal

Heavy monsoon rains, floods and landslides have killed scores of people across parts of India and Nepal, while rescuers in Nepal have recovered 15 workers killed in a separate Himalayan avalanche.

The Hindu reported that 56 people died as heavy rain struck Uttar Pradesh. NBC News also reported dozens of deaths as monsoon weather caused destruction across India, Nepal and Thailand.

In Nepal, a new wave of heavy rain and landslides has killed about 30 people, according to the BBC. Nepal’s disaster management authority said more than 1,900 families had been affected since late last week and more than 240 homes damaged. Roads, bridges and buildings were swept away, while hundreds of trekkers cut short journeys on the Annapurna Circuit. Many were evacuated by helicopter from Manang and Mustang, and others crossed numerous landslides while descending.

A landslide near Chame partially blocked a river, creating a temporary lake that inundated homes and a key bridge. Authorities used excavators in an effort to release the water.

Separately, an avalanche struck the base camp of the 7,126-metre Himlung peak near Nepal’s border with China as expedition workers prepared for future climbs. Rescuers recovered eight bodies on Thursday, raising the confirmed toll to 15, with one worker still missing. Eleven rescuers were digging through more than four metres of snow that buried tents at the camp. Foreign climbers had not yet reached the site when the avalanche occurred.