Record monsoon rains have killed more than 100 people in northern India this week

Officials say that record monsoon rains have killed more than 100 people in northern India this week. Authorities said Thursday that they used helicopters to rescue nearly 300 people who were stranded in the Chandertal area in the worst-hit Himalayan Himachal Pradesh state. Most of those rescued were tourists. The water level of the Jamuna River flowing through the Indian capital topped a 40-year record and reached 207.71 meters on Wednesday evening. India regularly witnesses severe floods during the monsoon season which runs between June and September and brings most of South Asia’s annual rainfall. The rains are crucial for rain-fed crops planted during the season but often cause extensive damage.