Death toll from rain-related incidents in India rises to 54

NEW DELHI

The number of rain-related deaths in different parts of India rose to 54 on Tuesday, authorities said.

In the southern state of Kerala, 38 deaths have been reported so far, according to the State Disaster Management Authority.

At least 11 people died in the northwestern state of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, taking the statewide death toll to 16 as incessant rain continues for the second day.

“Eleven deaths in rain related-incidents were reported on Tuesday, while many people are feared trapped in rubble following cloudbursts and landslides,” the Press Trust of India news agency quoted Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami as saying.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Uttarakhand chief minister and discussed the latest situation in the state.

According to an official statement, Modi assured Dhami that all possible help will be extended to the state.

The India Meteorological Department has also issued a red alert for Uttarakhand with a forecast of “heavy” to “very heavy” rainfall in the state in the next 3-4 days.

According to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, at least 90 houses have been destroyed in the rains, while 702 have been partially damaged.