At least 40 people have died in floods and landslides in northern India. There were many injuries and many people are still missing. Heavier rains are forecast.

At least 40 people have died in floods and landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains in northern India in three days. In addition, people are still missing, as announced by the authorities, according to the AP news agency. Persistent rains are complicating rescue and search operations, as reported by the Reuters news agency.

The rains caused flash floods in hundreds of villages. Roads have been flooded in the Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Earthen houses were swept away and bridges were destroyed.

Hundreds in relief camps

A government statement said landslides and floods had killed at least 36 people in the past three days in Himachal Pradesh alone. Hundreds have been housed in relief camps.

Four people died in a series of heavy downpours in neighboring Uttarakhand on Saturday. Another 13 disappeared after rivers overflowed, taking homes with them. According to the Reuters news agency, 120,000 people have been brought to safety in the state of Odisha.

The Indian meteorological authority predicts further heavy to very heavy rains in the region for the next two days.

Science expects such events to increase

During the monsoon season, which lasts from June to September, landslides and floods often occur in the Himalayan region of northern India. However, scientists expect these to become even more frequent during global warming – which is contributing to the melting of glaciers.

Nearly 200 people died in flash floods in Uttarakhand last year.