Officials confirmed Sunday that at least 40 people died and more are missing following flash floods caused by intense monsoon rainfalls in northern India over three days.
The rains flooded hundreds of villages, swept away houses of mud, and damaged bridges in parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. The Indian Meteorological Department forecast that heavy to very heavy rainfall would continue in the region over the next two days.
Sunday’s official government statement stated that at least 36 people were killed in flooding and landslides in Himalayan state Himachal Pradesh during the past three days. After being evacuated, hundreds sought shelter in relief camps.
A series of cloudbursts in Uttarakhand on Saturday left four people dead and 13 missing. The storms were caused by rivers that flooded banks and washed away houses.
Both states saw rescue teams working to evacuate the stranded.
Disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in India’s Himalayan north during the June-September monsoon season. Scientists say they are becoming more frequent as global warming contributes to the melting of glaciers there.
Last year, flash floods killed nearly 200 people and washed away houses in Uttarakhand
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