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A landslide triggered by heavy rains in Uttarakhand's Chamoli on Thursday washed away a portion of a major highway, leaving tourists stranded, officials said. A portion of the National Highway 7 leading to Badrinath near Chhinka in Chamoli district has been covered with debris.

The incident comes three days after flash floods and landslides blocked the national highway connecting Mandi and Kullu in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, leaving 200 people, mostly tourists, stranded and facing a 15-km-long traffic jam.

According to a news agency PTI, 19 people have died due to rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh, while 34 people have been injured, and three others are missing.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for very heavy rainfall in parts of Uttarakhand. Meanwhile, Delhi also received rain on Thursday, bringing down the minimum temperature, but some parts of the city were waterlogged.

The monsoon in India has reached a new pattern this year, reaching more than 80 per cent of the country so far. The monsoon arrived in Delhi and Mumbai on the same day, June 25 — something that had never happened in 62 years. Normally, the monsoon reaches Kerala by June 1, Mumbai by June 11 and Delhi by June 27.