Torrential monsoons kill at least 12 in India

Mudslides and drowning caused by torrential monsoon rains killed at least 12 people in western India over the weekend and flooded Mumbai, the country's financial and entertainment capital, a government official said Monday.

All the deaths were reported from the Amravati district, about 700 kilometers (435 miles) northeast of Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra state, said P. Kamath, a state disaster management official. They raised the overall toll in the state from monsoon weather over the last ten days to 42.

Flood waters cut off several villages and towns in coastal districts such as Raigad and Ratnagiri on Saturday, Kamath said. Relief teams reached affected villages as flood waters started receding after the rain stopped on Sunday, he told The Associated Press.

Thousands of Mumbai residents waded through knee-deep water in parts of central and suburban districts after Saturday's heavy rainfall, which disrupted rail and air traffic for several hours.

"We are fed up of rain water entering our homes every year," said Kaushal Sharma, a welder waiting for a bus on Mumbai's crowded streets on Monday. "When will the government do something to stop this?"

Sharma said his ground-floor home in suburban Kalina was still filled with water two days after the storm.

"The drains are clogged. It's dirty. How can our children sleep at night?" he said.

Officials said relief and rescue operations would continue in coastal areas over the next two days.

The monsoon season in India runs from June to September.