Dam breaches amid monsoon rains in India; 12 dead

CTV National News: Flooding in Mumbai Dozens are dead as Mumbai faces the worst flooding to hit the region in a decade. Melanie Nagy has more.

MUMBAI, India -- A dam overflowed and flooded half a dozen villages in western India after heavy monsoon rains, leaving at least 12 people dead and 11 others missing, officials said Wednesday.

The Tiware dam breached late Tuesday during incessant rains and swept away nearly a dozen homes, said Datta Bhadakawad, a civil administrator in Maharashtra state's Ratnagiri district. He said rescue teams recovered 12 bodies of villagers and were searching for the missing. One villager was rescued and was hospitalized, he said.

Heavy monsoon rains in Maharashtra have led to at least 34 deaths since Monday night from collapsed walls, drownings and other causes. Dozens of other people have been injured.

The worst-hit city was India's financial and entertainment capital, Mumbai, where at least 24 people died and over 60 others were injured. Five days of rain in Mumbai disrupted flights, flooded roads and covered train tracks, though services resumed as the rain cleared on Wednesday.

The monsoon season in India brings heavy rains from June to September that cause flooding and other damage. Building and wall collapses are common as the rains weaken the foundations of poorly built structures.