Disasters & Accidents

More than 40 dead due to heavy rains in India

New Delhi, Oct 19 (EFE).- At least 43 people have died due to the recent heavy rains in the southern Indian state of Kerala and the northern region of Uttarakhand, according to official sources Tuesday.

Heavy rains have lashed Kerala since the weekend, and in Uttarakhand since Monday, while relief teams have been working around the clock carrying out evacuation efforts.

The death toll in Kerala increased to 27 on Tuesday, an official from the state department of information told EFE, adding that weather conditions have been getting better following several days of intense rainfall.

Meanwhile, another 16 people “lost their lives between yesterday and today” in Uttarahkand, where “very heavy rains occurred in almost all districts,” Amurugesam, secretary of the State Disaster Management Department told EFE.

Due to the heavy rains in this northern region of the country, some roads “have been blocked” and landslides caused “damage to homes,” he added.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has mobilized teams in the most affected areas of Uttarakhand to reinforce evacuation and rescue operations of those affected.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its latest weather report said a significant reduction in fluvial activity was expected in Uttarakhand on Tuesday.

On the other hand, in Kerala, despite the improving weather conditions, the IMD has predicted intense precipitations over the coming days.

Although landslides and floods are common during the monsoons in South Asia, resulting in significant loss of life and property, Kerala has been particularly affected in recent years.

Between May and August 2018, torrential rains resulted in the worst floods in about a century in Kerala, causing at least 370 deaths. A year later heavy rains left 76 dead in the same region. EFE

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