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| Rescue operations have been hampered by heavy downpours. (Photo by= NDRF) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] At least 110 people have been killed in landslides and flooding triggered by heavy rains in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, BBC reported. The rains overwhelmed hundreds of villages, sweeping away houses and leaving residents stranded. Rescue crews have been racing to evacuate survivors but many people are feared missing. The Indian military has been helping the efforts, which have been hampered by difficult conditions.
The western state has recorded its heaviest spell of July rain for decades. Many factors contribute to flooding, but experts say climate change caused by global warming makes extreme rainfall more likely. On Friday Indian officials said most of the deaths had been caused by landslides and flooding in two districts. The officials said at least 38 people died when a landslide flattened a small village to the southeast of Mumbai, India's financial capital.
The state's chief minister, Udhav Thackeray, called an emergency meeting, where he asked officials to provide aid to those affected. He said authorities were evacuating people from vulnerable areas as they released water from dams that were threatening to overflow. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "anguished by the loss of lives" and would provide assistance to the affected.
