India and Nepal floods kill at least 68, officials say

Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain have killed at least 68 people over three days in northern India and Nepal, disaster authorities said on Sunday.

In India's Uttar Pradesh state, the Relief Commissioner's office said 56 people died over the past three days and more than 1,000 houses were damaged.

In Nepal, Shanti Mahat, a spokesperson for the country's disaster authority, said 12 people had died since Thursday in rain-related disasters including floods and landslides. Mahat said seven more people were missing.

Uttar Pradesh recorded 66.5 millimetres of rain between Friday and Sunday, compared with a seasonal average of 7.6 millimetres, according to the state statement. The statement said the deaths came during exceptionally heavy rain after a depression over the Bay of Bengal moved inland and increased rainfall across the region.

NDTV reported that more than 70,000 people in low-lying areas of India's Odisha state were evacuated after rivers swelled during heavy downpours. The network said rains damaged bridges and culverts, and officials shut Devkund, a tourist site in the state.

The latest flooding in Nepal follows an August 26 flood triggered by a glacial mountain collapse on the China-Nepal border. That earlier disaster has killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands missing.