Heavy rainfall lashing the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India since July 1 has caused 150 deaths and injured 120 while affecting thousands of people and houses, officials tell EFE.
On Tuesday, 11 people died and 7 were injured by monsoon rains that had drenched the northern state for several days, deputy director of Uttar Pradesh's Disaster Management Authority, Sanjay Kumar, said on Wednesday.
Most of the casualties occurred due to collapsed walls and roofs while only five per cent of the deaths were caused by lightning, he added.
Kumar said that around 11,000 houses and buildings have been affected by the rains and dozens of domestic animals have also been killed.
The waters of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers have risen to dangerous levels in some parts of the state but the deputy director said that the situation had not yet reached worrying proportions.
However, the official added that although no one had been displaced so far, the situation could change in the next 10 days as it was raining continuously in the state and the dams were filling up.
Heavy rainfall and flooding are common in South Asia during the monsoon season, especially between July and August, and can claim scores of lives and affect millions of people.
In August, close to 700 people died in northern India in monsoon-related incidents, especially in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
