At least 71 people have died following landslides and heavy rains in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, where Church officials fear the death toll may rise.

"I am afraid the number of causalities may rise once the rescue teams reach far-flung areas as they are facing challenges due to the rain," Bishop Ignatius Loyola Ivan Mascarenhas of Shimla-Chandigarh told UCA News on Aug. 17.

Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh, bordering China.

Bishop Mascarenhas said Church officials have met with the Shimla district collector, the district's top administrative officer, and "assured him of help."

They also donated some money collected from Catholics, he said.

Onkar Chand Sharma, principal secretary of the Disaster Management Department, said at least 71 people have died so far due to the incessant rainfall from Aug. 13 to 15.

Himachal Pradesh, one of the 13 mountain states in India, is characterized by an extreme landscape, featuring several peaks and extensive river systems.

The rainfall recorded in the state this July broke all records in the last 50 years, leading to the most devastating natural calamity in recent times.

"The situation in the area is very bad and it will take years to rebuild. I have asked all our people in the diocese to come forward and contribute in whatever way they can, like dry rations, food packets, clothes and money," Bishop Mascarenhas said.

He said a Chruch-run school in the Sholan area has been damaged due to rains and flooding.

He said that when the state was reeling under heavy rains in July, Church-run institutions and medical centers provided lodging, food, and medicines.

Tanuja Raghunath, the program associate of the New Delhi-based Caritas India, the Catholic Church's social service arm, told UCA News on Aug. 17 that their people are assessing the situation.

"We have distributed money among several houses in Kullu district and also have offered support to the administration," she said.

The state witnessed a massive landslide on Aug. 14 following which rescue operations were launched under the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

Naseef Khan, NDRF inspector, said that "rescue operations have been underway for four days."

Bishop Mascarenhas said that "people were shocked after hearing the news of landslides. We are praying for the bereaved families."

In Shimla, several buildings are facing landslide threats, while in Kangra district 1,731 people have been rescued following the release of water from the Pong dam.

A monetary loss of around 75 billion rupees (some US$ 937 million) has been reported so far, Sharma from the Disaster Management Department added.

Low-lying, neighboring Punjab state was submerged after Bhakra and Pong dams in Himachal Pradesh overflowed.

Civil society organizations have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare the situation in Himachal Pradesh a national disaster.