India monsoon floods kill 120 people

The area has witnessed torrential rains three times as heavy as usual since last week when the annual monsoon broke a fortnight ahead of schedule. Thousands of houses have been swept away in the flash floods and authorities are using helicopters to evacuate people and drop essential food supplies. Disaster Relief Minister Jaspal Arya said, " The state government and the army are trying to rescue thousands of tourists who are stranded near the submerged valleys and Hindu shrines.” Authorities have cancelled pilgrimage trips, fearing further rains and landslides in the state.