13 killed in India floods, stranded pilgrims airlifted

Monsoon downpours caused flash floods that killed 13 people in India's Himalayan foothills, officials said Friday, with helicopters rescuing hundreds stranded near a renowned Hindu shrine.

Flooding and landslides are common and cause widespread devastation during India's treacherous monsoon season, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity.

Thirteen deaths have been reported across the northern state of Uttarakhand so far, disaster official Vinod Kumar Suman told AFP.

District officials said around 700 people were rescued by airlift while travelling to Kedarnath temple, a popular pilgrimage destination dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva.

"We are flying multiple choppers to bring down the pilgrims who were on their way," Suman said.

The temple sits nearly 3,600 metres (11,800 feet) above sea level and access is only possible in the summer via a gruelling 22-kilometre (14-mile) uphill trek.

It is thronged by thousands of pilgrims each year at a time when the annual monsoon downpours are at their peak.

Monsoon rains across the region from June to September offer respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies.

They are also vital for agriculture, and therefore the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security for South Asia's nearly two billion people.

More than 200 people were killed in the southern state of Kerala this week when landslides hit villages and tea plantations, with search and rescue operations ongoing.

Two others were killed this week in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh state, where rescuers are still searching for more than two dozen reported missing.