At least 15 people have died in India in floods or landslides triggered by monsoons in the foothills of the Himalayas, authorities said on Saturday, AFP reported, citing news.ro.

Floods and landslides are common in India during the monsoon season (June-September), and some experts say climate change is increasing their frequency, severity and suddenness.

Rescuers have been dispatched to Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh (north), where floods swept away two houses and killed eight people, the government said in a statement.

Landslides and floods have claimed seven more lives in the state, the government says.

Television footage shows part of a railway bridge swept away by a landslide in the neighboring Kangra region.

In the Hamipur region, 19 people were rescued by sudden torrents of water on the roofs of some buildings.

Schools were closed in the most affected regions.

The state of Himachal Pradesh, which attracts tourists, is known for its snow-capped mountains.

In July, eight people died in a flash flood at a pilgrim camp in neighboring Kashmir.

In June, heavy rains fell on some regions of northeastern India. Nearly 40 people have been killed in a landslide that covered a camp of railway workers and army reservists in the state of Manipur.