Death toll rises to 66 in India's monsoon mayhem

Days of relentless monsoon rains have killed at least 66 people in India with dozens of foreign tourists stranded in the Himalayas after floods severed road connections.

Torrential downpours have washed away vehicles, demolished buildings and destroyed bridges in Himachal Pradesh, the worst-affected state. At least 33 people have lost their lives in the state since Saturday.

Rescue teams were mobilized to assist 40 foreign travellers who were stranded at tourist destinations alongside several hundred Indian nationals. At least 12 people were killed in neighbouring Uttarakhand state, including nine on Tuesday when debris fell on their vehicles on a national highway. A popular pilgrimage to the state's Kedarnath temple was suspended due to heavy rains.