Nearly half a million impacted by flooding in India’s northeast
By Manveena Suri and Rhea Mogul, CNN
New Delhi (CNN) — Nearly half a million people in northeast India have been affected by severe flooding after heavy rains battered the region, turning roads into rivers and submerging entire villages.
More than 495,000 people spread across 22 districts in the state of Assam have been impacted by floodwaters, its disaster management authority said in a statement Thursday.
About 14,000 people were evacuated to relief camps after torrential rainfall swept across the region, resulting in the river Beki, which flows through Assam, to overflow. At least one person has died, according to state authorities.
Video broadcast on local television shows villagers wading neck-deep through the muddy water with their cattle, and homes, shops and cars submerged in the floods.
Assam, a state of more than 31 million people, experiences heavy rain and flooding during India’s unrelenting monsoon season which can last from April to September.
Last year, at least 10 people died after heavy floods and landslides swept across the state.
This year’s flooding comes one week after tropical cyclone Biparjoy hit India’s west coast, ripping trees and toppling electricity poles.
At the same time, parts of northern India are experiencing an unrelenting heat wave as temperatures continue to soar in two of the country’s most populous states, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Dozens of people have died across the states, which saw temperatures reach 47 degrees Celsius (116 Fahrenheit) over the weekend.
The high temperatures are expected to persist through next week, prompting health authorities to issue multiple warnings and formulate a plan to mitigate the risks that come from heat-related health issues.
The-CNN-Wire
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