Heavy Rain In India Triggers Floods And Landslides

Rescue teams in India were doing all they could in getting through the thick sludge and debris on Saturday to reach dozens of submerged homes as the death toll from landslides and accidents caused by torrential monsoon rain rose to 125.

According to Experts, Maharashtra state is being hit by the heaviest rain in July in four decades, and downpours lasting several days have severely affected hundreds of thousands of lives.

A senior Maharashtra government official said in Taliye, about 180 km southeast of the financial capital of Mumbai, the death toll rose to 42 with the recovery of four more bodies.

Harsh weather has hit several parts of the world in recent weeks, with floods in China and Western Europe and heat waves in North America, raising new fears about the impact of climate change.

Parts of India’s west coast have received up to 23 inches of rain, forcing authorities to move people out of vulnerable areas as they released water from dams about to overflow.

The hill station of Mahabaleshwar recorded its highest ever rainfall – 60 cm in 24 hours and Rescuers were searching for victims of landslides in four other places in the state, the official said.

In a statement the Maharashtra government said around 90,000 people were rescued from flood affected areas, as authorities released water from overflowing dams.

Thousands of trucks were stuck for more than 24 hours on a highway linking Mumbai with the southern technology hub of Bengaluru, with the road submerged in some places.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was in anguish over the loss of lives.