Hopes fade for Indian landslide victims as rescuers struggle

Hopes faded Friday for the survival of dozens missing after a landslide smashed into a village in India, as rescuers battled rains and difficult terrain. Heavy equipment cannot be brought to the hilly, forested site in Raigad district and emergency personnel scrambled at mounds of earth and rubble as families tried to hold back their tears.

India has been battered by rains since the start of the monsoon season in June, and flooding and landslides have killed scores of people. Monsoon rains are vital to replenishing rivers and groundwater, but the deluge also causes widespread destruction every year.