New Delhi  - India's monsoon death toll has crossed 400 on Monday with reports of 21 people killed over the past 24 hours by seasonal rains and floods in the eastern Orissa and southern Kerala states, news reports and officials said.

The states worst hit are southern Karnataka and Kerala, with more than 90 deaths reported from each state since the monsoon rains began in June, the National Disaster Management Cell said in its latest update.

Gujarat and West Bengal accounted for 60 and 54 deaths, respectively. Most of the deaths were caused by collapsing houses and floodings.

According to the PTI news agency, 13 new fatalities occurred in Kerala and eight in Orissa since yesterday as torrential rains disrupted daily life and damaged crops in the states.

Nearly 24,000 displaced people sought refuge in relief camps in rain-hit areas in Kerala.

In rain-battered Orissa, the monsoon death toll rose to 36, with major rivers overflowing as torrential rains snapped road links and disrupted power supply at many places.

Indian weather officials predicted "heavy to very heavy rainfall" in Orissa and Gujarat over the next two to three days.

Almost every year, monsoon-driven floods cause numerous deaths and submerge villages and farmland. The monsoon season in India lasts from June to October.

According to the federal home ministry, more than 2,750 people died during the monsoon season across India last year. Nearly 28 million people, most of them living in rural areas, were affected across 16 states. (dpa)