"At least 14 people died of rain-related incidents in the past 24 hours taking the statewide toll to 106," said police spokesman Manish Awasthi in Lucknow, the capital of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

The dead included seven members of a family, including three children, who were killed when the roof of their house collapsed after a heavy downpour, the official said. Another five people died in a similar incident.

Lucknow Sunday recorded strong winds and 20 millimeters (0.78 inches) of rain, which disrupted road traffic and snapped telephone networks.

Heavy rain has lashed several parts of India, from western Maharashtra state to the remote northeast states, leaving many dead and thousands stranded because of overflowing rivers.

Most of the deaths since the annual monsoon rains arrived in late May have been caused by lightning strikes, house collapses and landslides. Some deaths were reported due to drowning and others due to electrocution.

The monsoon rains that sweep India from June to September are crucial for the farm-dependent economy.

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