Landslide triggered by rains kills 42 in India

[November 10, 2009]  NEW DELHI (AP) -- A landslide triggered by torrential seasonal rains swept through a hilly region in southern India, killing at least 42 people, an official said Tuesday.

The landslide demolished nearly 300 tin-roofed mud huts Monday in the Ooty and Coonoor region of Tamil Nadu state, a state flood control official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. The region is nearly 1,120 miles (1,800 kilometers) south of the capital, New Delhi.

Rescuers found 14 bodies in the debris Monday and another 28 on Tuesday, the official said, adding that eight injured people were hospitalized.

The death toll was expected to rise further with the rescue operation continuing in the region, the official said.

Ooty is a popular tourist destination, but none of those killed or injured were foreigners, he said.

India's June-September monsoon season causes severe flooding and kills hundreds of people across the country. But the annual monsoon brings rains that are vital to agriculture in India.

It is common for the southern parts of the country to receive heavy rains in November and December.

[Associated Press; By ASHOK SHARMA]

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