Rescuers have been digging through mud in Shimla, in India, searching for more survivors after pulling three bodies on Tuesday (August 15) buried in the weekend's devastating landslides, Reuters reports.
At least 57 people were killed in India's Himayalas when torrential rains caused hillsides to collapse, buried homes and dragged buildings down. Ten people were still missing Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary,. Pradodh Saxena, said.
Rains but also unabated construction have frequently triggered deadly flash floods and landslides in the mountains of India and neighbouring Pakistan and Nepal over the past few years.
The retrieved bodies on Tuesday were found at the site of Panchvaktra Temple which was submerged when the river swelled up from the rain. In the state capital Shimla 14 people were killed in rain-related incidents, said disaster management official Praveen Bhardwaj.
Heavy rain is forecast to continue until Wednesday in parts of Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring Uttarakhand. Both states suffered widespread damage last month, too, due to incessant downpours, and have recorded 45% and 18% above-normal rainfall during this monsoon season that began June 1.
