At least 46 killed as rains, floods ravage northern Indian state

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI (AA) – At least 46 people have died in flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains in India’s northwestern state of Uttarakhand, authorities said on Wednesday.

The Himalayan state has been battered by relentless downpour for three consecutive days, sparking floods that have washed away homes, roads and bridges. ​​​​​​​

Some 122 millimeters of rainfall were recorded in Uttarakhand between Monday and Tuesday, about four times the normal range for the entire month of October, according to the India Meteorological Department.

The southern state of Kerala has also been ravaged by heavy rains and floods, with at least 38 deaths reported in recent days.

At least 11 more people are still missing in Uttarakhand, the State Emergency Operation Center said.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said it has rescued more than 300 people and has 15 teams still engaged in relief operations in Uttarakhand.

The worst-hit area is the district of Nainital, which was cut off for hours due to landslides and heavy damage, and has seen at least 28 deaths.

The met department has hinted at a “significant reduction” in rainfall from Wednesday, predicting “isolated and light showers” in parts of the state over the coming days.

However, Pushkar Singh Dhami, chief minister of Uttarakhand, acknowledged that “it will take time to return to normalcy” after days of “massive damage.”​​​​​​​