The death toll from two buses washed away by flash floods in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu Friday has risen to at least 83 people, after rescuers recovered more bodies.
Local officials say as many as 52 people, including several children, were killed in the remote Thanjavur district after their bus was swept away by an overflowing jungle stream. Police rescued 36 people who are being treated for injuries. A number are still missing.
Hours earlier, in the Ramanathapuram district, another bus was caught by the flood waters, killing at least 31 people. Police managed to rescue 30 people, but at least 12 others are unaccounted for and feared dead.
Torrential rains have been battering the state for several days, causing widespread flooding. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced from their homes in coastal areas.
Some information for this report provided by AFP.