DThe death toll from landslides and floods after monsoon rains in India has risen to at least 115 people. The provincial government said on Saturday that in Maharashtra alone, rescuers found 112 victims in the operation. According to the authorities, at least three people have died in Karnataka. As a precautionary measure, a total of nearly 150,000 people had to leave their homes.
Most of the deaths occurred in the Raigad area, about 130 kilometers south of the state’s capital, Mumbai. The continuous heavy rain caused the Savitri River to overflow its banks. Most areas of Mahad City were flooded, and all access roads were blocked. Residents fled to higher floors and the roofs of houses to escape the water.
On Friday, civil defense was unable to land on the disaster-stricken area with a rescue helicopter. Only when the water level drops again on Saturday can the residents’ rescue work begin.
The water level is up to six meters
Villages are also inaccessible in the area around Chiplun, about 250 kilometers south of Mumbai. The Vashishti River overflows there. Authorities recorded the water level there as high as six meters.
Houses in Mumbai collapsed, and people died and were missing. Last weekend, at least 34 people in this financial metropolis died from landslides caused by rainfall. According to government information, Goa, a coastal metropolis south of Mumbai, suffered huge damage, but no one died.
During the monsoon season from June to September, Indian buildings collapsed again and again. Old and dilapidated houses are often affected. According to a report by the Potsdam Institute of Climate Change, climate change is causing more severe monsoon rains in India.
