NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- At least 43 people are feared dead after a massive mudslide swept away three hamlets in northern India, authorities said Sunday. Two small villages were completely destroyed Saturday while one was partially knocked down, said Manoj Pande, a senior disaster management official in Pithoragarh district. Rescuers have pulled 15 bodies from the debris and many more may have been swept into the river, Pande said. More than 2.9 million people in India have been affected by floods since June, according to federal officials. Yearly monsoon rains sweep across the subcontinent from June till September. Though they bring much-needed relief to often-parched farmlands, they also leave a trail of landslides, home collapses and often fatal floods.
Three hamlets affected by recent mudslide in India . At least 43 people are feared dead . Millions in India have been affected by floods since June, officials say .