Torrential monsoon rains kill 59 in northern India

LUCKNOW, India -- A heavy spell of retreating monsoon rains has flooded wide areas of northern India, killing dozens of people this past week, an official said Saturday. Sandhaya Kureel, a spokeswoman of the Disaster Management and Relief Department, said most of the 59 fatalities were caused by house collapses, lightning and drowning in Uttar Pradesh state. They included at least five people dying of snake bites in flooded areas. The temple city of Varanasi was lashed by 19 centimetres (7 inche