At least 27 people have died in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh over the weekend in accidents brought on by heavy monsoon rains, officials said on Monday.
Eleven of the state's 75 districts were affected by the flooding with Shahjahanpur being the worst hit, reporting six deaths, according to state disaster management officials in the regional capital Lucknow."A total of 27 people died in the districts on Saturday and Sunday; the toll might rise as heavy rain has been reported overnight as well. House and wall collapses and electrocution were the primary cause of death," Rohit Sanwal, an official staffing the control room said.
A total of 541 houses were damaged. Choppers from the Indian Air Force on Sunday carried out rescues of 14 people stranded in the Lalitpur and Jhansi districts, he added.
The Indian Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rains in the state until Tuesday, raising fears of further flooding with rivers flowing near their danger levels.
India's monsoon season, between June and early October, sees heavy rains that often cause widespread damage and destruction.
As many as 1,276 people have died in the country during this year's rainy season, according to data released by the federal Home Ministry last week.
More than 440 deaths were reported from devastating floods in the southern state of Kerala, while Uttar Pradesh accounted for some 220 deaths
