Indian monsoon death toll rises to 42

Mudslides and drowning caused by torrential monsoon rains killed at least 12 people in western India over the weekend and flooded Mumbai, the country's financial and entertainment capital.

All the deaths were reported from the Amravati district, about 440 miles north-east of Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra state, said P Kamath, a state disaster management official.

They raised the overall toll in the state from monsoon weather over the Past ten days to 42.

Flood waters cut off several villages and towns in coastal districts such as Raigad and Ratnagiri on Saturday, Kamath said. Relief teams reached affected villages as flood waters started receding after the rain stopped yesterday, he said.

Thousands of Mumbai residents waded through knee-deep water in parts of central and suburban districts after Saturday's heavy rainfall, which disrupted rail and air traffic for several hours.

Officials said relief and rescue operations would continue in coastal areas over the next two days.

The monsoon season in India runs from June to September.