Around 1,000 people are now confirmed to have died in devastating flash floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains in northern India.

Earlier reports said more than 600 bodies have been found after torrential rains struck the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand last week, flooding the Ganges River and devastating large parts of the region.

Key points: More than 600 bodies recovered so far; as many as 1,000 feared dead

More than 600 bodies recovered so far; as many as 1,000 feared dead 10,000 still stranded after monsoon rains hit Himalayan state of Uttarakhand last week

10,000 still stranded after monsoon rains hit Himalayan state of Uttarakhand last week Swollen rivers swept away entire villages

Swollen rivers swept away entire villages Area full of religious pilgrims when rains hit

A massive rescue effort is underway to find tens of thousands of people still trapped by floodwaters, with pilgrims and tourists also stranded without food and water for days.

The area was full of religious pilgrims at the time the rains hit.

"The death toll could be more than 750, maybe around 1,000," Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna said in the state capital Dehradun.

A total of 12,000 people were rescued by the army and air force personnel braving rough weather and inhospitable terrain, an official statement said, as distraught relatives waited for news of their loved ones.

The full extent of the loss of life will only emerge after flood waters recede and rescue workers reach isolated areas.

Swollen rivers have also swept away entire villages and caused extensive damage to the region's road network.

In Govindghat, a small town on the route to the Sikh holy site of Hemkund, army personnel reportedly built temporary bridges by stringing ropes across river banks to help civilians cross safely.

Rescue officials in Dehradun said 550 people who were left stranded in the remote Jungle Chatti region had been evacuated.

"We have also steered to safety another 2,500 people from Badrinath," they said.

Dozens of helicopters and thousands of soldiers have been deployed to help those trapped, including many residents whose houses have been damaged.

About 120 bodies have been recovered from the Kedarnath temple complex and more were feared to be lying in a nearby jungle where tourists took refuge after hotels and other buildings collapsed in the deluge.

Nishi Shrivastava, 30, recounted with horror how she had to virtually "navigate" among dead bodies strewn near the Kedarnath temple site.

"Bodies were lying everywhere. It was worse than a nightmare," she said.

"I had lost all hope of seeing my family members again."

Air relief operations resumed in the areas of Harsil and Dharasu after being suspended on Sunday morning (local time) due to rain and overcast conditions, the Indian Air Force said.

Residents face grim battle for survival

For thousands of stranded people, it has been a grim battle of survival against the odds, an army rescue worker who did not want to be named said.

"They have been stuck for more than five days without food or water. Temperatures have been dipping sharply in the night but they do not have any shelter," he said.

Some survivors complained they had been exploited by locals eager to profit from their misery.

Shri Purushottam, a 50-year-old from Maharashtra state, cried inconsolably as he recalled the moments when his 10-year-old son lay lifeless in his arms.

"He died of sheer hunger and thirst. I kept pleading for help. Some villagers said they could arrange for him to be air-lifted if I gave them 35,000 rupees ($640).

"I agreed but they took my son away and abandoned him later on," he told AFP.

The disaster relief force meanwhile deployed unmanned drones to locate survivors in remote areas that remained inaccessible.

TV images also showed paratroopers using ropes to descend from military choppers to assist in rescue operations.

Special trains and buses have been pressed into service to bring tourists home while medical and food supplies are being flown to stranded people.

State officials say nearly 80,000 people had been evacuated from the flood-devastated regions.

India's government has already announced a $170 million relief package for victims and the United States has announced that it will provide $150,000 in aid.

Floods and landslides from monsoon rains have also struck neighbouring Nepal, leaving at least 39 people dead, according to the government in Kathmandu.

ABC/AFP