The tragedy has been compounded by controversy, after a senior politician blamed locals for the high number of fatalities, suggesting people should have constructed their homes elsewhere. That sentiment has been met with anger from villagers, who accuse officials of failing to issue timely evacuation warnings.

PESHAWAR: Anguished Pakistanis searched remote areas for bodies swept away by weekend flash floods as the death toll reached 277 on Monday, while one official replied to the lack of evacuation warnings by saying people should have built homes elsewhere.

MUMBAI (Reuters) -Incessant heavy rain lashed India's financial capital of Mumbai on Monday, disrupting flights, flooding roads and prompting shutdowns of schools. Some parts of Mumbai recorded more than 140 mm (5 inches) of rain from Monday morning, the weather department said, causing traffic snarls as cars stalled on inundated roads.

On Aug. 5, a flash flood devastated much of the Himalayan village of Dharali in India’s Uttarakhand state. As of Aug. 17, six people were confirmed dead, while 60-70 people remained missing. The primary cause of the flash flood is still unconfirmed,

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Rescuers are looking for more than 150 people who were still missing on Monday in northwestern Pakistan, where scores died after the area was struck by a cloudburst. A senior politician blamed locals for the high death toll, saying people should have built their homes elsewhere.