Floods, landslides kill 56 in India, 12 in Nepal

Heavy rain triggered floods and landslides across northern India and Nepal, killing at least 68 people over the past three days, disaster authorities said on Sunday.

In India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, 56 people have died over the past three days with more than 1,000 houses damaged, the Relief Commissioner's office said in a statement.

Neighbouring Nepal, already reeling under the catastrophic 26 August flood, was struck by a fresh wave of flooding and landslides that has killed 12 people since Thursday.

"Since Thursday, 12 people have died in rain-related disasters like floods and landslides," Shanti Mahat, spokesperson at Nepal's disaster authority, told AFP, adding that seven more were missing.

Scientists have warned in recent years of an increase in extreme weather events across South Asia, linking them to rising temperatures and changing climate patterns.

The flooding in Nepal last month, triggered by a glacial mountain collapse on the China-Nepal border, has killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands missing.

Uttar Pradesh, home to more than 240 million people, is frequently battered by rain and thunderstorms during the annual monsoon season from June to September.

The latest deaths were reported during a spell of "exceptionally heavy rain" after a "depression over the Bay of Bengal moved inland and intensified rainfall across the region", it said.

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The state recorded 66.5 millimetres of rain between Friday and Sunday, compared to the season average of 7.6 millimetres, it added.

The heavy rain caused extensive damage to crops, with farmers raising concerns over sowing delays in the upcoming season.

In India's eastern state of Odisha, over 70,000 people living in low-lying areas were evacuated after rivers swelled due to heavy downpours, NDTV news network reported.

The rains have damaged bridges and culverts, forcing officials to shut down Devkund, a popular tourist spot in the state.

Monsoon-related disasters are an annual occurrence across India after long summers when many parts of the country face water scarcity and drought.