Rescuers scramble to deliver aid after deadly Nepal, India floods

KATHMANDU

Rescuers in Nepal and India Monday scrambled to deliver emergency aid after days of torrential rain triggered landslides and floods that have killed more than 70 people, officials said.

The downpours, which began on Oct. 3, have now eased, but rescue teams are still struggling to reach several cut-off areas with roads blocked and bridges washed away.

Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said at least 46 people have died in rain-related incidents, two more than the previous day, while six others remain missing.

"We had to walk long distances through the hills, even fixing ropes to cross the swollen river," local district police official Laxmi Bhandari told AFP.

"Now that the rain has stopped, we are more committed to providing relief and carrying out rescue operations for the village."

Several highways blocked over the weekend slowly opened up Monday to allow movement of stranded travelers, many returning after celebrating the Hindu festival of Dashain.

Across the border in eastern India, at least 28 people were killed in the storms, officials said, as rescuers struggled to reach worst hit spots in the Himalayan region.

The tea-growing hills of Darjeeling in West Bengal state were among the hardest hit.

"Landslides have been reported from 35 locations in the hills of Darjeeling and more than 100 houses have been destroyed," Praween Prakash, a West Bengal state police official told AFP, confirming 28 deaths.

"At least 10 people in Darjeeling could not be traced... the death toll could rise once rescuers reach the remote places," he added.