120 dead after annual monsoon hit India

Earlier, the torrential rains have washed away hundreds of homes and roads, leaving many people dead and thousands stranded, after the annual monsoon hit northern India earlier than expected, officials said Tuesday.

The Indian Air Force scrambled a dozen helicopters to reinforce a military-backed rescue mission in the worst-hit state of Uttarakhand, a spokesman said.

Local government officials in the state capital Dehradun said they were overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster.

"So far, we have found 54 bodies and 17 others are still missing," top disaster management official Piush Rautela told AFP by telephone.

"The situation is really very bad out there. More than 600 buildings have toppled or been swept away and there are 75,000 people including pilgrims stranded at various places."

Military helicopters were rushing to rescue those stranded in water-logged areas, he said.

"Certain areas are still unaccessible to us," he added, speaking from a control room in Dehradun which is monitoring rescue and relief missions.

A military statement said five airbases in northern India have been activated to speed up operations.

"Indian air force helicopters carried out missions to airlift men, equipment, relief material medical aid," it said.

Television footage showed bridges, houses and multi-storey buildings crashing down and being washed away by the swirling waters.

A giant statue of Lord Shiva could be seen submerged up to its head in the tourist hub of Rishikesh in Uttarakhand.

Rising water levels in some towns have also swept away cars, earthmoving equipment and even a parked helicopter, as a result of the surprise rains which began lashing the region on Saturday.

Roads in many areas have been destroyed, leaving hundreds of pilgrims stranded on their way to visit shrines in remote areas.

Authorities have cancelled pilgrimage trips, fearing further rains and landslides in the state, often referred to as the "Land of the Gods" because of its many Hindu temples and Hindu religious sites.

Wildlife, including deer, could be seen struggling for safety against the tide.

"Right now our priority is to save as many lives as possible and the scale of destruction will be assessed later," Routela said from Dehradun.

The state government was also readying food parcels and drinking water to be dropped by helicopters to remote villages.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke with officials in Uttarakhand and promised "all assistance in rescue and relief operations" in the the stricken state, the premier's office said in a statement mailed to AFP.

"The prime minister shared the anguish and distress of the affected people of Uttarakhand," the statement said.

"He said that assistance was already being provided by the army and air force to rescue stranded people and to provide relief. The prime minister has also directed all agencies of the union government to assist in rescue and relief operations in the flood affected areas of the state," it added.

In neighbouring Himachal Pradesh state, the death toll from rain-related accidents stood at 10, said a state government official from the capital Shimla.

Around 1,500 people, including 150 foreign holiday-makers, were stranded in the state which is a popular tourist destination, the official added.

Efforts were under way to try to reopen the major roads to rescue those cut off by the rains, said J. M. Pathania, a top administrative official of Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh.

The monsoon, which India's farming sector depends on, covers the subcontinent from June to September, usually bringing some flooding.

But the heavy rains arrived early this year, catching many by surprise. The country has received 68 percent more rain than normal for this time of year, data from the India Meteorological Department shows.

Two hydropower stations that supply the region have also been shut down as a safety measure.

Over the border in Nepal, at least 12 people have been killed in landslides triggered by monsoon rain over the last three days, officials said.