India: monsoon leaves 155 dead

India: monsoon leaves 155 dead

Police spokesman Surendra Srivastava said 13 people had died overnight in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India's largest and most populous state. Most were killed in lightning strikes, he said from Lucknow, the state capital.

At least 76 people have died in Uttar Pradesh since the monsoon rains began early June, with the remaining deaths scattered across India.

In New Delhi, a heavy downpour early Tuesday led to traffic jams on some of the city's water-logged main roads. Trees uprooted by the wind and rain and stalled cars led to traffic snarls as office workers headed to work.

During India's June-September monsoon season, hundreds of lives are routinely lost annually due to heavy downpours which result in floods, collapsed houses and lightning, according to the AP.