200 dead in 4 flood-hit states in India
Nearly 200 people have been killed in four flood-affected states - Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra, so far. Rescue operations stepped up in Gujarat's Kutch on Monday, where more than 120 people were airlifted from an inundated road. Other than the mentioned states, 9 people were also killed due to landslides in Jammu and Uttarakhand following heavy rains.
Meanwhile, rains subsided in many parts of the flood-hit states, where more than 12 lakh people have been affected. The Indian Air Force (IAF) rescued nearly 125 people stranded on a road washed away by floods in Gujarat's Kutch district.
In the hill state of Uttarakhand, which is being lashed by heavy rains, six persons, including a woman and her nine-month-old daughter, were buried alive in landslides in three different villages in Chamoli district.
Erosion caused by swirling waters of the flooded Chuflagad River also washed away two buildings on its banks.
The state emergency operation centre in Dehradun said the debris of landslides fell on three houses in Banjabgad, Aligaon and Lankhi villages in the district's Ghat area trapping occupants.
The six people suffocated to death, the centre said.
In Jammu and Kashmir, three members of a family died after they came under a boulder during a landslide in Resai district. Two others were also injured in the incident that took place on Sunday evening in Laar village in the district's Mahore belt.
In states hit by floods, several roads were cleared on Monday, allowing partial movement of traffic, with priority being given to trucks carrying essential goods.
The Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway-4, which was closed near Kolhapur in Maharashtra for the last six days, was partially opened for traffic on Monday after the floodwaters receded and thousands of stranded trucks carrying essential commodities were allowed to move.
Traffic movement was also allowed between Kolhapur and Belgaum in Karnataka.
Precaution is being maintained in the deluge-hit states as most rivers are in a spate and reservoirs at the danger mark.
In Kerala, the death toll increased to 83 and 2.55 lakh people have sought refuge in relief camps, the official said, fearing the toll is may go up as 50 people are still missing in Malappuram.
There is no 'red alert' of torrential rains for any of the 14 districts on Tuesday, but "orange alert" has been issued for six districts.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday visited flood-affected areas in his Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in the state, including the worst-hit Puthumala area, and assured all help to those hit by the calamity to rebuild their lives.
In Karnataka, 80 taluks in 17 districts have been affected due to floods and rains, and the state government has put the death toll at 42 and those missing at 12.
The state on Monday announced an assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to those who have lost their houses completely in the floods and landslides, to take up construction work, Rs 1 lakh to those whose houses were damaged and Rs 5,000 monthly to those staying in rental accommodations till their houses are ready.
Due to the deluge, a total of 5,81,702 people have been evacuated till Saturday evening and 1,168 relief camps opened where 3,27,354 people are taking shelter.
In Maharashtra, the death toll increased to 43 on Monday and as on Sunday nearly 4.48 lakh people were evacuated from flood-hit areas, including 4.04 lakh from Kolhapur and Sangli, officials said, adding that 761 villages in 69 taluks have been affected by floods.
They were shifted to 372 temporary camps and shelters.
In Gujarat where nearly 31 people have died in rain-related incidents in the last five days, efforts are on to trace and rescue fishermen of two missing boats.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the IAF, state disaster response forces and local administration are providing relief and conducting rescue operations in states hit by monsoon fury.
In Odisha, an elderly woman was killed and her daughter-in-law seriously injured when a wall of their house collapsed in Kalahandi district, as fresh rains lashed several parts of the state on Monday, with a threat of flood looming large, officials said.
The state had been pounded by rains last week, too, claiming four lives and affecting at least nine districts in south and west Odisha.
Four persons, including a minor girl, were killed in a lightning strike in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Monday, police said.
Rainfall was recorded in parts Bihar and Jharkhand in the east and also in areas of northeast India, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Light rainfall was also reported from parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
In the national capital, it was a sultry day on Monday, with light rains in the afternoon.
The humidity levels oscillated between 89 and 47 per cent.
While the Safdarjung observatory recorded 3.2 mm rainfall, the Palam and the Ridge area observatories received 5.1 mm and 1.2 mm downpour respectively.
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Video: NDRF boat overturns during rescue operations in Koppal
