Heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand for the fourth consecutive day has led to chaos and disaster across the hilly state, with flooded roads and buildings, destroyed bridges and overflowing water bodies leaving locals and tourists stranded - some in remote and dangerous locations.
Uttarakhand's Ranikhet and Almora were completely cut off from plains for the second straight day today due to heavy rain and landslides, while connectivity in Nainital disappeared for most of the day yesterday.
At least 52 people have been reported dead in the state, many of whom were found in the rubble of collapsed buildings, as a result of aggressive landslides and flash floods. The casualties have left authorities fearing for the lives of people who may be trapped under debris.
However, over 1,300 people have now been evacuated from Uttarakhand by the National Disaster Response Force.
Meanwhile, forty-two people have died due to rains and landslides between October 12 and 20, while six people are missing, said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) data shows that the southern state has received 135 per cent excess rain during the period from October 1 to 19.
During the heavy spell on October 16 when the IMD issued a red alert indicating extremely heavy rainfall, numerous incidents of landslips and other rain-related accidents were reported from south-central districts of Kerala, resulting in 39 people dead and 217 homes destroyed.
