India – Hundreds Rescued After Floods in Maharashtra

by in Asia, News

Further heavy monsoon has once again caused severe flooding in parts of the state of Maharashtra in west-central India.

Flood rescue in Maharashtra, India, July 2019. Photo: National Disaster Response Force

Flooding in Badlapur, Thane District, near Mumbai, left the Mahalaxmi Express train carrying hundreds of passengers stranded on 27 July, prompting a massive evacuation operation involving personnel from the military and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Eventually all 700 passengers were successfully rescued from the train. The flooding came after torrential rain caused the Ulhas river to overflow.

NDRF teams were also called on to carry out rescues in Wardha district over the last few days. As of 27 July, eight NDRF teams consisting of 223 rescuers were deployed in flood-hit areas of the state. Severe flooding was also reported in Chandrapur district on 30 July.

Although no fatalities were reported from the Badlapur train incident, the country’s Disaster Management Division (DMD) reports that 7 people have died in Maharashtra in flood- and rain-related incidents, including drowning and collapsed buildings, since 27 July.

As many as 166 people have now died in the state since the start of this year’s monsoon. Dozens of people died after torrential monsoon rainfall caused severe flooding in parts of Mumbai and the state of Maharashtra at the start of July this year.

According to DMD figures, a total of 55 villages in 22 districts have now been affected by heavy monsoon rain and flooding, with over 1,500 people evacuated.

Meanwhile the death toll continues to rise in the ongoing flood situation in the north eastern states of Bihar and Assam. As of 30 July, DMD reported 127 fatalities in Bihar and 89 in Assam. As of 30 July there were over 650,000 people displaced in the two states.

Elsewhere in the country, 26 people have died in flooding and rain-related incidents in Kerala and 13 in Rajasthan.

Social Media