16 Dead In Heavy Rain, Floods In UP, Air Force Brought In For Rescue

Sixteen people have died in the last 48 hours due to heavy rains and flooding in 16 districts across Uttar Pradesh . The worst affected is the Shahjahanpur district, where six people have died. The Air Force has rushed choppers from the Gwalior air base for rescue work in the state. So far they have rescued have rescued 14 people stranded in Lalitpur and Jhansi districts.

According to the data released by the government, three persons died in Sitapur district and four in Amethi and Auraiya districts. As many as 461 houses have been damaged.

The death count in the current cycle of floods and rain stands well over 200 across the state.  The met office has predicted "heavy to very heavy rain" at isolated places over western Uttar Pradesh.  
In a dramatic footage from the Lalitpur district in drought prone Bundelkhand  showed Indian Air Force helicopters rescuing marooned people stuck in a village in Talbehat tehsil.  

In Jhansi district, eight fishermen were stranded on an island near Erech Dam on the Betwa river after a sudden rise in water level following heavy downpour.

All six people were successfully rescued in Lalitpur district. The IAF team did a fantastic job," news agency press Trust of India quoted state Relief Commissioner Sanjay Kumar as saying. "The district magistrate of Jhansi has confirmed that all eight fishermen have been successfully rescued by an IAF team," the officer added.

The floods in Uttar Pradesh come weeks after the devastating floods that brought Kerala to its knees. More than 350 people have died in what turned out to be the worst monsoon in the state in a Century.  

The floods, Kerala has said, has caused damages to the tune of 19,500 crore, wiping out houses, crops and infrastructure across vast stretches.