Foreigners stranded by India floods

Rescue attempts are under way to reach hundreds of foreign tourists who are stranded in India's Himalayan region of Ladakh.

The country's air force is trying to get them out of the Zanskar Valley near Leh by helicopters.

At least 150 people have now died after flash floods hit the country.

Unexpected heavy rains have destoyed houses, uprooted telephone towers and deposited boulders and mud up to 15 feet high on main roads.

Thousands of tourists travel to Ladakh every year to visit old Buddhist monasteries and for adventure sports such as white water rafting.

At least 300 people are still missing and 25,000 people affected by the floods, army officials said. At least 7,000 soldiers were deployed to rebuild roads and bridges, they said.

"It will take a lot of time and effort to restore the communication network," said Brigadier Sanjay Chawla of the Indian Army said from Leh.

About 33 soldiers were also swept away during the floods that hit the Ladakh region on Friday, the army said.

The region borders Pakistan, beset by the worst floods in 80 years which have killed over 1,600 people and left at least two million homeless.