Southwest India hit by severe flood and landslides

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

At least 25 people have were killed in landslides and floods triggered by heavy rains in southwestern India, as per official reports on Sunday. Several rescuers were deployed in affected region to look for survivors in muddy debris while the military flew in emergency supplies.

Residents were cut off in parts of the coastal state of Kerala as the rains left rivers and flooded roads swelled. The rainfall reportedly started intensifying on Friday and thousands of people were evacuated. Around 100 relief camps have been set up as per Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Nearly 11 bodies have been found so far in Idukki district and another 14 in Kottayam district after the areas were hit by landslides and flash floods. The army, navy and airforce are also assisting with flood relief and rescue operations. However, officials failed to identify the total number of missing people.

Video shared on social media showed buses and cars submerged in floodwaters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences and said authorities were working to help those who were affected or hit by the deluge.

The India Meteorological Department said the heavy rains, caused by a low pressure area over the southeastern Arabian Sea and Kerala, were expected to ease on Monday. In northern India, some states including the Himalayan regions of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are forecast to experience “heavy to very heavy rainfall” in the next two to three days, the weather bureau said.

The northern weather system would be caused by a low pressure area over Afghanistan and its surroundings interacting with strong winds from the Bay of Bengal, it added. In 2018, nearly 500 people were killed in Kerala when it was ravaged by the worst floods to hit the state in almost a century.

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