Monsoon rains collapse houses in northern India, killing 58

At least 58 people have been killed in the past two days as monsoon rains triggered house collapses and flooded wide swaths of land in northern India, officials said Saturday.

According to the State Relief Commissioner's office, deaths have been reported from various districts of the state.

"So far, we have confirmation of 58 deaths. The deaths have occurred in rain-related incidents, including building collapse," T.P. Gupta, an official at the State's Relief Commissioner Office in Lucknow, told Anadolu Agency over phone.

Weather officials have predicted more rains in the next 48 hours in India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh.

The deaths have occurred since Thursday night, said government spokesman Awanish Awasthi. Most of the victims died on Friday in Agra, the northern city where the white marble Taj Mahal is located, including four members of a family whose house collapsed, he said.

Rains also damaged an outer boundary wall of the 16th century Fatehpur Sikri fort, west of Agra. However, there was no damage to the main monument, said another official, P.K. Singh.

Singh said authorities closed schools on Saturday in the area as the weather department issued an alert for more rains.

The monsoon season usually lasts until October.