30 die as flash floods sweep bus off bridge in Tamil Nadu

Another 30 passengers were rescued by local villagers and police after the bus was pushed into a swollen river by raging waters at Janaveli village, some 450 km south of Chennai, the state capital, formerly known as Madras.

"The bus is still stuck in the slush of the river bed and there are bodies in the vehicle," K. Sellamuthu, a senior state government official, said.

Since Monday, heavy rains -- caused by a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal -- have lashed Tamil Nadu, causing widespread flooding.