Death toll in India, Nepal quake rises to 53

The death toll from a 6.9-magnitude quake that hit the India-Nepal border has risen to 53, officials said Monday, with much of the affected area cut off by landslides.At least 31 people were killed in Indias northeastern state of Sikkim in Sundays quake, local officials said, while building collapses and landslides claimed another nine lives in adjoining Indian states.Police said six people were killed in Nepal, and Chinas official Xinhua news agency reported seven dead in southern Tibet.Tremors were felt more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) away in New Delhi to the west, and in Bangladesh to the east.Rescue teams heading to the mountainous area faced a difficult task in heavy monsoon rains as many communication links were down and roads blocked by falling rocks and mud.