NEW DELHI, Aug. 21:
The death toll due to flash floods and landslides amid torrential rains has risen to 38 in the northern and eastern parts of India during the past two days, said media reports on Sunday.
Most of the deaths – 22 took place in the northern hilly state of Himachal Pradesh, followed by six deaths in the eastern state of Odisha, four each in Uttarakhand and Jharkhand, and two in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
Himachal Pradesh’s death toll is feared to rise, as six people are still missing while 12 were injured in separate incidents of house collapse and landslides.
Among the dead, eight were of the same family.
“These floods are the worst in recent decades. A lot of damage has been done to human life and property,” said a local resident while speaking to Xinhua over phone.
Rain’s fury has made bridges broken, thus cutting off remote areas. Roads and highways were badly damaged, which hampered the movement of people to a great extent.
Thousands of tourists have been stranded at various places in the hilly state, a popular destination for tourists, both domestic and foreign.
On Saturday evening, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur told media that he had directed senior government officials in the affected districts to clear the roads for traffic movement, and also repair or rebuild damaged bridges.
A report from the Uttarakhand state said that as many as 235 roads have been closed in the state due to landslides.
(Xinhua)
