At least 15 people have been killed in India after heavy monsoon rains triggered flash floods and landslides near the Himalayan foothills.

Rescue officials were rushed on Saturday to Mandi district in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh where a torrent of floodwater swept away two houses and killed eight people, a government statement said.

Landslides and flooding claimed seven other lives across the state, the release added.

Television news footage showed part of a railway bridge washed away by the deluge in nearby Kangra district. Schools were closed in the worst-affected districts.

In Hamipur district, flash floods stranded 19 people on the rooftops of local buildings before they were rescued by disaster response teams.

Climate crisis

Of those dead, eight family members were buried alive on Saturday in Himachal Pradesh after their home collapsed due to heavy rain, Deputy Commissioner Arindam Chaudhary told Anadolu Agency.

"There were flash floods, landslides in multiple places due to heavy rains. So far, we have recovered 10 bodies. Around 3-5 people are still missing," Chaudhary said.

"A search and rescue operation is underway to find the missing people," he added.

Flooding and landslides are common and cause widespread devastation during India's treacherous monsoon season.

Last month, eight people died after flash floods triggered by a sudden downpour struck a camp for pilgrims in nearby Kashmir.

Heavy rains battered India's remote northeast in June, with nearly 40 killed in a landslide that swamped a camp housing railway workers and army reservists in Manipur state.

Experts say the climate crisis is increasing the number of extreme weather events around the world, with damming, deforestation and development projects in India exacerbating the human toll.

Source: agencies