Rainfall in northern India has caused widespread damage and left at least 12 people dead, officials said on Thursday. Emergency workers rescued nearly 1,000 people who were stranded in different parts of the Himalayas due to the torrential downpours.
The India Meteorological Department reported that late on Wednesday, the capital city of Delhi experienced heavy rainfall, with eastern parts and suburbs receiving a total of 147 mm (5.8 inches).
According to local media, at least seven people died in Delhi. In Uttarakhand state, officials reported that three people died and parts of two bridges were washed away after a downpour, a massive amount of rain in a short period.
Additionally, bad weather has been hampering communications in the hilly terrain.
District official Saurabh Gaharwar reported by phone that rescue workers rescued over 1,000 people stranded in various locations along the Kedarnath route, a path leading to a Hindu pilgrimage area.
Additionally, a section of the national highway was washed out.
In 2013, Uttarakhand, known for its susceptibility to flash floods and landslides, was hit hard by record rainfall, resulting in almost 6,000 Hindu pilgrims going missing.
Authorities in Himachal Pradesh, a neighboring state, reported that heavy rains led to flooding, which resulted in two deaths and left about 50 people missing.
The state chief minister shared photos showing rescue workers using ropes to traverse streams, with muddy water cascading through rocks amidst the hilly landscape.
“We’re facing a very serious situation and are working to rescue people and recover any bodies from the debris,” Jyoti Rana, a district official in Shimla, told Reuters.
Extreme rainfall, flash floods, and deadly landslides in the mountains of India, Pakistan, and Nepal over recent years have been partly attributed to climate change by some experts.
This week, heavy rain caused landslides in tea estates and villages in southern India’s Kerala state, leading to at least 178 fatalities.
According to opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav on X, water leaked from the glass dome of a newly built parliament building in Delhi. The issue has been addressed and repaired.
In recent months, Delhi has endured a range of extreme weather events, from intense heat and flooding to rainfall that resulted in a roof collapse at the city’s airport.
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