Haldwani, July 8 -- Heavy rain battered Uttarakhand on Wednesday, triggering landslides that blocked 71 roads, killed a woman in Pithoragarh district and created a 600-metre-long artificial lake on the Ramganga River, prompting authorities to monitor the risk of flash floods.

The deceased, Saraswati Devi, a resident of Syankuri village in Pithoragarh, had gone to collect fodder in the Baans Tok area on Tuesday evening when rocks dislodged from a hillside above her. She lost her balance, fell into a gorge and died, according to the district emergency operation centre.

Officials said debris and boulders from the hillside slid into the river following torrential rain on July 4. The impounded water is gradually extending towards Bhaiskot vi...