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Monsoon Floods Kill Nearly 600 in India


Water gushes down a river as Indian paramilitary soldiers and volunteers stand near a makeshift bridge after it was damaged hampering to evacuate the stranded pilgrims in Govindghat, India, June 22, 2013.
Water gushes down a river as Indian paramilitary soldiers and volunteers stand near a makeshift bridge after it was damaged hampering to evacuate the stranded pilgrims in Govindghat, India, June 22, 2013.
Flash floods and landslides triggered by a monsoon in northern India have killed nearly 600 people and left tens of thousands stranded or missing.

Forecasters said Saturday that heavy rainfall is expected to continue for days. Rescuers have been working to save more than 50,000 people stranded in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, where raging waters have swept away entire villages.

Rescue workers say they have helped more than 30,000 people reach safety during the past five days. Some of those impacted by the flooding include pilgrims heading to a Hindi religious site and tourists, some of whom had to be rescued by helicopter.

India is accustomed to flooding from monsoon rains, but this year's downpours arrived a week ahead of schedule, sending people scrambling for high ground as rivers spilled over their banks.
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