MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Rescuers in India battled through thick sludge and debris on Saturday to reach scores of flooded houses, as the death toll from landslides and accidents triggered by severe monsoon rains climbed to 125.
Experts believe Maharashtra is seeing the highest rain in July in four decades. Hundreds of thousands of people have been affected by several days of heavy rains, and major rivers are in risk of breaking their banks.
The death toll in Taliye, approximately 180 km (110 miles) southeast of Mumbai’s financial hub, has risen to 42 with the recovery of four additional corpses after landslides destroyed most of the village’s dwellings, according to a senior Maharashtra government official.
“Around 40 individuals remain stranded. Because they’ve been stranded in mud for more than 36 hours, the chances of their being rescued alive are slim “According to the official, who did not want to be identified because he is not authorised to speak to the press,
In recent weeks, severe weather has struck numerous regions of the world, including floods in China and Western Europe, as well as heat waves in North America, prompting new concerns about climate change’s impact.
Parts of India’s west coast have received up to 594 mm (23 inches) of rain, causing officials to evacuate residents from high-risk regions as water from dams nearing overflow was released. Mahabaleshwar, a hill station in Maharashtra, received the most rain ever – 60 cm in 24 hours.
Rescuers were looking for victims of landslides in four different locations around the state, according to the official.
The Maharashtra government stated in a statement that “about 90,000 people were evacuated from flood-affected regions,” as officials released water from overflowing dams.
Thousands of vehicles were stranded for more than 24 hours on a motorway connecting Mumbai to Bengaluru, the southern technological powerhouse, with the route partially waterlogged.