Heavy rain claims 17 lives in western India

Seventeen people were killed on Thursday in flooding caused by torrential rain in western India including five who were sleeping in a mosque, officials said.

Twelve people including a nine-year-old boy were killed in flash floods and as walls collapsed in various parts of Pune district in Maharashtra state, police said.

The mosque was washed away in a rural part of the state, police official Sandip Patil told AFP.

Residents take photos of a car washed away by flash floods in Pune. Jignesh Mistry/AFP

"We have recovered five bodies and are still looking for two missing people. Rescue operations are ongoing," he said.

The state's chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted his condolences and said 15,000 people had been evacuated in the city of Baramati.

Monsoon rains are crucial to replenishing water supplies in drought-stricken India, but they kill hundreds of people across the country every year.