Floods, Landslides Claim Hundreds

Flash floods and landslides in northern India have killed more than 200 people this week, rescuers and government officials said Wednesday.

The Himalayan state of Himachi Pradesh was still cut off from many rescue efforts, and searchers said they feared the death toll might reach 500. On Tuesday, officials had reported 140 people dead.

The Sutlej and Andhara rivers spilled over their banks after heavy rains Monday and Tuesday, covering main roads and blocking access to a dozen villages from Chandigarh, the nearest large city, 150 miles away.

The floods have caused $71 million in damages, said B.D. Sharma, a state government spokesman.

Annual monsoons begin in June and usually end in mid-August. Before Monday’s deluge, this season’s rains already had killed more than 420 people in India.