New Delhi, Jul 10 (EFE).- Incessant rains that lashed the northern parts of India over the weekend have continued on Monday for the third day straight and left at least 14 people dead along with a trail of landslides and flooding in several regions, including New Delhi.
Authorities in the Indian capital ordered schools to be shut down as heavy rains paralyzed road traffic in many parts of the city, with cars stuck in water and transport services being partially suspended.
An alert has also been issued over the possibility of the river Yamuna – which passes through Delhi – crossing the danger mark.
Delhi’s regional public works minister Atishi told reporters after inspecting assistance and preventive operations that the river was expected to touch the danger mark by 11 am on Tuesday.
At least five people have been killed in the northern state of Uttarakhand, the executive director of the state disaster management authority, Piyoosh Rautela, confirmed to EFE.
Meanwhile four others were killed in rain-related incidents in Kullu, in the state of Himachal Pradesh, the area’s joint commissioner Ashutosh Garg told reporters.
The latest deaths were reported after five people were killed on Sunday in the city of Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, and Muzaffarnagar, situated in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Although authorities have not released a nationwide death toll, some media outlets have put the number of deaths over the weekend to as high as 28.
The mountainous states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have been the worst affected by the rains.
Rautela said that many tourists remained stuck in Kullu even though the majority had been rescued, while mobile phone networks had been seriously damaged in Manali and other far-off areas.
Authorities were receiving updates through wireless, he added.
Videos on social networks and media showed vehicles being carried away by strong water currents, even as houses and bridges were destroyed by overflowing rivers and streams.
In Himachal’s Mandi district, trunks of trees uprooted by the powerful water currents damaged several houses and shops.
The India Meteorological Department warned that the states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and New Delhi could witness heavy rains, with isolated areas likely to receive “extremely heavy rains” over the next few days.
Every year, heavy rains cause widespread material damage and casualties in South Asia during the monsoon period, which lasts from June to September. EFE
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