India and Nepal: At least 128 dead in floods

Status: 20.10.2021 11:57 a.m.

After days of rain, at least 128 people were killed in floods in India and Nepal. Dozens are still missing. Helpers assume that the number of victims will increase.

At least 128 people were killed in floods and landslides in India and Nepal. According to the authorities, at least 85 people died in India and 43 in Nepal. Numerous people are also missing.

In the southern Indian state of Kerala, 39 people were killed, according to the state’s head of government, Pinarayi Vijayan. According to the authorities, 46 people died in the state of Uttarakhand, eleven are missing. Aerial photos showed partially flooded villages in the area particularly prone to flooding.

Rubble from a collapsed house lies on a hillside and on a street in Bangalore.

Image: dpa

Prime Minister Modi shaken

“The floods have caused enormous losses and the crops have been destroyed,” said Pushkar Singh Dhami, Prime Minister of Uttarakhand.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his regret on Twitter. “I am shocked by the loss of life from heavy rains in parts of Uttarakhand. May the injured recover soon. Rescue operations are underway to help those affected. I pray for the safety and well-being of all,” Modi wrote.

Dozens of dead and missing in Nepal

In Nepal, north of India, there were also deaths after days of rain. In the past three days, 43 people have died and 30 more are missing, the police said. It is assumed that the number of victims could increase.

In the Himalayan region in northern India, landslides occur again and again. According to experts, the risk of such severe weather events is increasing due to climate change as well as the construction of dams and the deforestation of forests. In February, around 200 people died in floods in the Rishiganga Valley.

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