3 dead as cloudburst hits north India

NEW DELHI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- At least three persons died and a couple of others went missing after a cloudburst hit the Mandi town of India's northern hilly state of Himachal Pradesh, confirmed a local official on Tuesday.

Around 20 vehicles were buried and several houses were inundated in the slush that came down the hills after the natural tragedy struck the area.

Besides, the main highway connecting the hilly state with the plains was blocked as debris and slush were strewn all around. Road clearing work was going on to ensure the highway was reopened for vehicular traffic.

According to media reports, the Himachal Pradesh state has suffered losses of 15.23 billion Indian Rupees (around 175.34 million U.S. dollars) during this year's monsoon season.