Heavy rains hit India and Nepal: Floods and landslides killed 70 people

People sit on trees uprooted by strong storms in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. (Reuters)

Heavy rains and storms have ravaged India and Nepal, causing floods and landslides. So far, 56 people have died in India and 14 people have been killed and 11 are missing in Nepal. The authorities today warned that sudden floods may still occur.

Reuters reported that Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod, relief commissioner of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, said today that Uttar Pradesh received a total of 66.5 millimeters of rainfall between the morning of September 25 and 27. By comparison, the normal rainfall for the same period is 7.6 millimeters.

Indian authorities are conducting rescue operations and distributing relief supplies in flooded areas, while asking officials to assess crop damage and provide compensation.

In addition to the 56 lives lost, the disaster also injured 46 people in India and damaged more than 1,000 houses.

Nepalese authorities have warned that sudden floods are likely to occur in 49 of the country's 77 administrative regions. More than half of the administrative regions face high or sudden flood risks, and water levels in major rivers and tributaries continue to rise.