2023-08-15 11:26:00
At least 65 people died in India, including 11 in the collapse of a temple, during devastating floods and landslides, according to a new report communicated Tuesday by the authorities.
Several days of torrential rain destroyed bridges and buildings, washed away vehicles in the northern states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
During the monsoon, floods and landslides are frequent and cause considerable damage, but their number is increasing with climate change, experts say.
In Himachal Pradesh, the most affected by the bad weather, at least 52 people have died since Sunday, said the Prime Minister of this state, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. He called on residents to stay at home and stay away from waterways. Schools remain closed.
Images of the affected areas show bodies being pulled from the rubble.
Eleven of the victims lost their lives in the collapse of a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva in Shimla, the local capital.
“Rescue operations are continuing and we fear that at least 10 people are trapped under the rubble,” district disaster management committee chairman Aditya Negi told AFP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his “sympathy” to the victims, promising that local and national authorities would “work together”.
India’s President Droupadi Murmu said she was “hurt by the loss of life in the heavy rain-related accidents”.
Significant damage
In the most affected areas, major roads and power lines were badly damaged, blocking thousands of people.
The railway network also suffered heavy damage.
In the state of Uttarakhand, rescue teams tried to free people buried by landslides.
Near the banks of the Ganges, in the tourist pilgrimage city of Rishikesh, five people found themselves trapped.
In total, at least 13 people have been killed since Friday due to bad weather in this state, according to the authorities.
In July, several days of monsoon rains killed at least 90 people in India, while the Yamuna, a river that runs through the Indian capital New Delhi, experienced its highest levels since 1978.
Monsoon rains alone constitute about 80% of the annual rainfall in South Asia.
They are vital for the level of rivers, for replenishing groundwater and for agriculture.
But they also cause deadly and destructive floods and landslides.
15/08/2023 11:24:58 – Dehradun (Inde) (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
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