Updated

Army soldiers and rescue workers have pulled out six bodies from two buses that were covered in mud after a landslide triggered by heavy monsoon rain in north India.

District official Sandeep Kadam says the landslide that occurred early Sunday in Urla village in Himachal Pradesh state buried part of a highway, trapping two buses and at least three cars.

Several houses were washed away in the torrential rain that hit the region in the Himalayan foothills.

Landslides are common in the area during the monsoon season, which runs from June through September.

The area around the village has been deforested extensively, increasing its vulnerability to landslides. Similar deforestation and environmental damage have caused floods and landslides in other parts of India.