Torrential Rain and Floods Claim 22 Lives in Northern India

• Heavy rainfall in northern India claims at least 22 lives, triggers landslides and floods.
• Schools in New Delhi closed as a precautionary measure.
• Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand urge residents to stay indoors unless necessary.

Heavy rainfall in northern India has resulted in the loss of at least 22 lives, triggering landslides and flash floods in the affected areas. As a precautionary measure, schools in New Delhi were shut down, and authorities in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand advised residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.

According to the Times of India newspaper, floods and landslides caused the death of at least 22 individuals in the northern states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab.

In Himachal Pradesh, heavy rainfall led to flash floods, resulting in the collapse of a bridge and the destruction of several makeshift dwellings. Footage from ANI, a Reuters partner, showed authorities employing helicopters to rescue individuals stranded on roads and bridges due to the rain.

According to local media reports, streets in various northern states, including Punjab, Delhi, and Uttarakhand, were inundated with floodwaters. In order to rescue individuals who were trapped inside their homes, rescue personnel utilized rubber rafts in certain areas.

“Please stay inside your homes because more heavy rain is expected in the next 24 hours,” Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said in an appeal on social media late on Sunday.

A senior official from the weather department stated that several districts in Himachal Pradesh experienced rainfall equivalent to a month’s average within a single day during the weekend.

The department also reported that Delhi, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh have received rainfall amounts that are 112 percent, 100 percent, and 70 percent higher than the average for the ongoing monsoon season, which began on June 1.