Landslides and flooding in India kill at least eight

Flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rain in a mountainous part of north India killed at least eight people on Friday and 30 more are missing, a disaster control official said.

Piyush Rautela said the toll from the disaster in the scenic Himalayan state of Uttarakhand could rise, with many believed buried in the mud and debris that barrelled down slopes into homes.

The Press Trust of India news agency said 100 millimetres of rain fell in two hours, causing swollen rivers to burst their banks and forcing residents to flee their homes.

Television images showed muddy, swirling floodwaters gushing through the area, slowly submerging buildings while giant boulders and rocks blocked part of a national highway.