NEW DELHI, India — A government official said Thursday that days of continuous rain in India’s Himalayan region had killed at least 72 people this week, as a strong monsoon has created landslides and flash floods that have inundated highways, washed away buildings, and left locals scurrying for escape.
Rescuers in the hilly Himachal Pradesh state have been working through difficult weather conditions to save those stuck beneath mud and debris from the weekend rains. The weather service in India has issued a high alert for the state, and the rain is expected to continue for the next few days.
According to Vikram Singh, an operator at the state’s emergency operations center, 72 deaths occurred over the previous five days, and rescue efforts were ongoing on Thursday.
Hundreds of roads are still closed, and schools in Shimla’s capital city have been ordered closed while the Indian Air Force and emergency response teams assist in evacuating people from low-lying, dangerous regions. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the chief minister, stated that over 2,000 people had been evacuated utilizing helicopters and motor boats and are now safe in relief centers.
Social media images showed trees coming apart as residences erected atop the hills toppled one after the other. People can be heard screaming in the background, “get out from here,” and “get back.”
A government official said Thursday that continuous rain in India’s Himalayan region killed at least 72 people this week.
A Hindu temple in Shimla fell on Monday amid devastating landslides, and authorities worry that victims are still buried beneath the rubble. Authorities reported that the shrine was full of pilgrims, increasing concerns that the death toll could grow as rescue efforts continue.
Homes in some areas were also washed away after a cloudburst – a sudden, strong rain — occurred Sunday night, flooding highways and leaving many trapped.
Cloudbursts occur when more than 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) of rain falls in 10 square kilometers (3.8 square miles) in one hour. They are widespread in Himalayan regions, where they can create severe flooding and landslides that harm thousands of people.
The chief minister, Sukhu, told the Press Trust of India news agency that it would take a year to reconstruct infrastructure wrecked by this monsoon’s rains and that the projected cost is 100 billion rupees ($1.2 billion). “It’s a big challenge, a mountain-like challenge,” he explained.
Over two weeks last month, record monsoon rains killed more than 100 people in northern India, including Himachal Pradesh, which was the hardest hit.
A government official said Thursday that continuous rain in India’s Himalayan region killed at least 72 people this week.
During the June-September monsoon season, landslides and floods are widespread in India’s Himalayan north. According to scientists, they are growing more common as global warming continues.
However, local experts believe the current calamity results from unplanned construction in this susceptible area. “It is poor planning and governance that has led to this much damage,” said Anand Sharma, a retired meteorologist with the Indian Meteorological Department, the country’s meteorological agency.
Sharma is from the Himalayan region and has studied weather patterns there for almost three decades. During the monsoon season, he expects significant and occasionally extreme rains in the Himalayan foothills.
“All of the fallen buildings are recent constructions; buildings built a century ago have seen little to no damage,” he added, adding that rising tourism to the region is another issue.
“They build wherever they want, and when heavy rains come, such disasters inevitably occur,” Sharma explained.
SOURCE – (AP)
