In fierce monsoon storms and floods, at least a hundred people have died in northeastern India. In the state of Uttar Pradesh alone 63 deaths have been reported since Friday and in neighboring Bihar another 27 deaths have been reported by the authorities. In Patna, the capital of Bihar, have fallen since Friday 226 millimeters of rain, said the disaster relief chief AFP.
EPA / RAMINDER PAL SINGH
Catastrophic conditions in northern India
Especially in Patna the storms caused catastrophic conditions. Dozens of boats brought residents out of their flooded homes to safety. Photos showed crowded rooms of two hospitals, whose floors are covered ankle deep with brown dirty water. Torrential rain has also been reported from southern India and the western state of Gujarat.
In July alone, at least 650 people died during the monsoon
According to the weather service, the unusually strong monsoon in 15 states is expected to continue for another four to five days. The rains between June and September are vital for the drought-stricken Indian agriculture. But the rainy season is likely to break the 1917 record this year, the Times of India reported. In July alone, at least 650 people died in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan through the monsoon.
Especially India is affected again and again. In August, more than 200 people lost their lives in heavy rainfall in the south and west. The impact of the mudslides on people can be seen in a video from a security camera in Kerala:
The huge country is affected by extreme environmental catastrophes this year. In February, the forests in the Bandipur National Park burned in the south, and in May the cyclone Fani swept across the east coast. During a heat wave in June, temperatures in Rajasthan rose to an unprecedented 50.8 degrees Celsius. The city of Mumbai was hit by the worst flooding in the decade in July (read more on this topic).
