At least 26 people were killed and many were missing after downpours hit India's northern mountainous state of Uttarakhand, dpa quoted police as saying Friday. Dozens of houses collapsed after heavy rains in the central Rudradprayag and Bagheshwar districts late Thursday. Nineteen bodies had been recovered in three villages in Rudraprayag, district police chief Rameshwar Dimri said. "A number of people are feared trapped in the debris. Rescue operations are on and the death toll could rise further," he said by phone, adding that seven injured had been hospitalized. Seven more people died in Bagheshwar, area police chief Nivedita Kukreti said. Last month at least 34 people were killed in flash floods in Uttarakhand. Sudden heavy rains are common in India's mountainous states during the monsoon season between June and September.
