Monsoon flooding that has stranded thousands of people and caused landslides in northern India has killed almost 120 people, and the prime minister said the toll could rise substantially.
The torrential rain and landslides since on Sunday have stranded pilgrims at four revered Hindu shrines, washed away bridges and roads and caused other damage in Uttrakhand state.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said after returning from an aerial survey on Wednesday that the death toll there was 102. “It is feared that the loss of life could be much higher,” he said.
An additional 17 people died in collapsed homes in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state, said R L Vishwakarma, a state police officer.
The annual monsoon rains sustain India’s agriculture but also cause flooding that claims lives and damages property.
The latest rains have affected several states and the capital, New Delhi, where nearly 2,000 people have been evacuated to government-run camps on higher ground. Authorities there said the Yamuna River was expected to start receding on Thursday afternoon.
After Singh’s comments, Uttrakhand’s Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna told the New Delhi Television news channel that hundreds of people have lost their lives but that the exact number would be known only after a survey.