Shimla, Aug. 26 -- The death toll due to heavy rains and floods in Himachal Pradesh has risen to 244 in 58 days, with the drowning of two 16-year-old youths in the Pabbar River in Shimla district's Rohru subdivision on Wednesday, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).

The latest incident took the total number of drowning deaths reported across the state during the monsoon season to 11.

The two youths, identified as Shiven Roshan, 16, son of Shishu Pal and a resident of Karasa, and Saksham, 16, son of Rajdev and a resident of Banoti, had gone to the Pabbar River to bathe when they ventured into deep water and drowned, officials said.

Their bodies were recovered during a joint search and rescue operation involving loca...