NEW DELHI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the heavy rains in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh in the past two days has reached 55, officials said Tuesday.
"Around 55 people have lost their lives in the state till now. I believe that the death toll might go up," said Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, chief minister of Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh has been experiencing heavy rains since the inception of the monsoon on June 24, which triggered landslides, cloudbursts, flash floods and house collapses, causing large-scale destruction.
On Monday, a temple at Summer Hill was hit by a landslide and collapsed, and 30 to 35 people were believed to be stuck inside, according to National Disaster Response Force official Nafees Khan.
Eleven bodies have been retrieved from the spot while search efforts are underway.
According to details provided by the government, until Monday evening, 283 people were killed, 304 others injured, and 33 were missing in the rain-related incidents since June 24 across the state.
The state emergency operation center said 857 roads have been closed in the state because of the calamity.
India Meteorological Department on Tuesday said isolated heavy rainfall was likely to continue over Himachal Pradesh for the next two days. ■