World, Asia - Pacific

Floods, heavy rains claim over 230 lives in South Asia

Over 12 million people have been stranded or displaced as devastating floods continue to ravage India, Nepal, Bangladesh

Riyaz ul Khaliq  | 18.07.2019 - Update : 18.07.2019
Floods, heavy rains claim over 230 lives in South Asia

ANKARA

As many as 234 people have lost lives and other 29 reported missing, in the deluge caused by incessant rains in South Asia, over last one week, revealed data from four countries.

Some 9.4 million people have been affected in India’s Northeastern provinces of Assam and Bihar. In both provinces 95 people have been reported dead. In Bihar alone, 4.6 million people have been affected due to flooding and landslides.

In Assam, the State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has put the death toll to 28.

“The flood waters have receded. But still 5.7 million people remain affected,” the Authority reported.

Indian government has set up nearly 226 relief camps to help the marooned people.

The floods have also hit the wild life sanctuary in Assam killing, 39 animals including five endangered one-horned rhinos at Kaziranga National Park.

In neighboring Aurnachal Prasdesh, bordering China, rains have caused landslides at several places blocking the strategic national highway.

In North Indian province of Uttar Pradesh, three children of a family were killed when roof of their house collapsed, due to heavy rains in Muzaffarnagar district, officials said.

In the Himalayan country of Nepal, at least 90 people were reported killed and 29 remain missing, according to date issued by the country’s interior ministry.

Nearly 17,000 families have also been displaced in country's east and central regions. The landlocked country has sought help from international aid agencies to mitigate the losses.

In Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir, 35 people were killed and 23 others injured, when lightening and flash floods struck parts of scenic Neelum valley.

According to National Disaster Management Authority, 173 houses and 70 shops were washed in flash floods. Besides, 500 people have been displaced in the region.

In Bangladesh, rains killed at least 11 people and left millions more marooned, for over past few days, officials said on Thursday.

According to the disaster management and relief ministry, over 3 million people have been affected so far by the flooding which started about two weeks ago.

Arifuzzaman Bhuyan, an executive engineer at Bangladesh Water Development Board, told Anadolu Agency that overflow of rivers is normal in monsoon season.

“The flood situation occurred mainly because of heavy rainfall in Assam and Meghalaya in India,” he said.

In a message, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offered help to work with authorities in the affected countries, to attend to the humanitarian needs. He expressed grief over the loss of life, displacement of people and destruction of property due to the heavy rains and flooding in the South Asian region.

* Amir Latif from Pakistan, SM Najmus Sakib from Bangladesh, Abdul Gani from India and Deepak Adhikari from Nepal contributed to this story.

Floods, heavy rains claim over 230 lives in South Asia

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