At least 48 die in Indian floods

MONSOON rains destroyed mud huts and flooded wide swaths of northern and eastern India, killing at least 48 people in recent days and leaving hundreds of thousands marooned by raging waters.

Those stranded took shelter atop trees, hills and rooftops in the eastern states of Orissa and Bihar and the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Rescue helicopters dropped food in hard-to-reach areas, while hundreds of boats ferried the stranded to safety. However, the rains, expected to continue for two more days, were holding up rescue efforts.

All 31 people killed over the weekend in Uttar Pradesh state died when the roofs of their mud houses collapsed.