Heavy rains trigger deadly floods and landslides in India
Heavy rains continue to cause devastating floods and landslides in India's northern and northeastern regions, resulting in at least 16 deaths and impacting hundreds of thousands, officials reported on Tuesday.
In Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, torrential rains have led to the deaths of nine people in the last 24 hours, according to an official bulletin. Meanwhile, in the northeastern state of Assam, two people died on Monday due to the second wave of flooding that began on June 16. This flooding has affected more than 600,000 people across 19 districts and displaced over 8,000 residents, according to the state disaster management authority.
Kaziranga National Park in Assam, home to nearly 2,200 one-horned rhinos, has also been severely impacted, with over half of its 233 camps flooded and four hog deer drowned.
In neighboring Bangladesh, the northeastern region is experiencing worsening flood conditions due to continuous rain and upstream water flow from India. Tens of thousands of people have been left stranded, officials reported on Tuesday. In Chittagong, authorities are using loudspeakers to warn residents about the high risk of landslides caused by heavy rains and are offering assistance with evacuations, according to government official Abul Bashar Mohammed Fakruzzaman.
The ongoing floods in India's northeast and Bangladesh have left millions stranded over the past two months, with weather authorities predicting further deterioration. In Assam's neighboring state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China, relentless rains have forced the closure of schools in the capital, Itanagar, until the end of the week.
The Indian Meteorological Department has issued warnings for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across western, northern, and northeastern states for the remainder of the week. (ILKHA)