Key Takeaways
- At least 68 people have died in floods and landslides in India and Nepal over the past three days.
- In Uttar Pradesh, 56 people have lost their lives, with 1,000 houses damaged.
- Nepal has reported 12 deaths since Thursday, with seven more missing.
Heavy rain triggered floods and landslides across northern India and Nepal, resulting in at least 68 fatalities over the past three days, according to disaster authorities.
In India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, 56 people have died, with more than 1,000 houses damaged, as reported by the relief commissioner’s office.
Neighbouring Nepal has also been affected, with 12 people losing their lives since Thursday, according to Shanti Mahat, spokesperson at Nepal’s disaster authority.
The latest deaths in Nepal were reported during a period of exceptionally heavy rain, which followed a ‘depression over the Bay of Bengal moving inland and intensifying rainfall across the region’, as stated by the authorities.
Scientists warn of an increase in extreme weather events across South Asia, linking them to rising temperatures and changing climate patterns.
The flooding in Nepal last month, triggered by a glacial mountain collapse on the China-Nepal border, has killed over 1,400 people and left thousands missing.
Uttar Pradesh, home to over 240 million people, is frequently hit by rain and thunderstorms during the annual monsoon season from June to September.
The state recorded 66.5 millimetres of rain between Friday and Sunday, compared to the season average of 7.6mm, according to the authorities.
The heavy rain has caused extensive damage to crops, with farmers expressing concerns over potential sowing delays in the upcoming season.
In India’s eastern state of Odisha, over 70,000 people living in low-lying areas were evacuated after rivers swelled due to heavy downpours, as reported by NDTV news network.
The rains have also damaged bridges and culverts, leading officials to shut down Devkund, a popular tourist spot in the state.
Monsoon-related disasters are an annual occurrence across India after long summers when many parts of the country face water scarcity and drought.
