At least 37 killed as homes collapse during heavy monsoon rains in India

At least 37 people have been killed in the past two days as monsoon rains triggered house collapses and flooded wide areas of land in northern India.

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

The deaths occurred after rains started on Thursday night, said government spokesman Awanish Awasthi.

Most of the victims died on Friday in Agra, the northern Indian city where the white marble Taj Mahal is located, including four members of a family who died in a house collapse.

Rains also damaged an outer boundary wall of the 16th-century Fatehpur Sikri fort.

Authorities closed schools in the area as the weather department issued an alert ahead of further rain.

India’s monsoon season usually lasts until October.