July 30, 2024

Heavy rain hinders rescue efforts after landslides struck the hilly Wayanad district while people were sleeping. Landslides triggered by relentless monsoon rains have struck tea plantations in the southern Kerala state and killed at least 63 people, with at least 250 others rescued from mud and debris, officials said. The landslides hit near Meppadi in the district of Wayanad at about 2am on Tuesday (20:30 GMT on Monday), cutting off at least four villages, and rescue efforts were hampered by blocked roads in the disaster area. State revenue minister K Rajan’s office confirmed the death toll to reporters. District official D R Meghasree said another 125 people were in hospital for treatment. Wayanad is famed for the tea estates crisscrossing its hilly countryside which rely on a large pool of casual labourers for planting and harvest. Local media reported that most of the victims were tea estate workers. Television footage showed rescue workers making their way through mud and uprooted trees to reach those who had been stranded. Vehicles swept off the roads were seen stuck in a swollen river. Authorities mobilised helicopters to help with rescue efforts and the Indian Army was roped in to build a temporary bridge after landslides destroyed a main bridge that linked the affected area. “We are trying every way to rescue our people,” state Health Minister Veena George said. Images published by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) showed rescue crews trudging through mud to search for survivors and carry bodies on stretchers out of the area. “My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones and prayers with those injured,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on social media platform X, adding that families of victims would be given a compensation payment of $2,400 (200,000 rupees). Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who until recently represented Wayanad in parliament, told lawmakers that the scope of the devastation was “heartbreaking”. “Our country has witnessed an alarming rise in landslides in recent years,” he added. “The need of the hour is a comprehensive action plan to address the growing frequency of natural calamities.” India’s meteorological agency is predicting more rain in the coming hours. Monsoon rains across the region from June to September offer respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies.They are vital for agriculture and therefore the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security for South Asia’s nearly two billion people. But they also bring destruction in the form of landslides and floods. The number of fatal floods and landslides has increased in recent years, and experts say climate change is exacerbating the problem. Intense monsoon storms battered India earlier this month, flooding parts of the financial capital Mumbai, while lightning in the eastern state of Bihar killed at least 10 people. Nearly 500 people were killed around Kerala in 2018 during the worst flooding to hit the state in almost a century. India’s worst landslide in recent decades was in 1998, when rockfall triggered by heavy monsoon rains killed at least 220 people and completely buried the tiny village of Malpa in the Himalayas. Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/30/several-feared-dead-hundreds-trapped-after-landslides-hit-indias-kerala

NDMA warns that current monsoon conditions could result in urban flooding in various regions In a devastating incident, 11 people of the same family died after heavy showers resulted in water entering the basement of their house situated in Kohat’s Old Bazid Khel area. Among the deceased are six children, three women, and two men, all belonging to the same family, the rescue officials said in a statement. They further stated that the sudden flow of rainwater into the house led to the of family members sleeping in the basement. According to sources, 11 bodies have been recovered so far, and they were initially searching for a missing girl, who was later found. Moreover, Faisal Karim Kundi, Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, expressed sorrow over the tragic loss of lives. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a flood alert, warning that the current monsoon conditions could lead to flash floods and urban flooding in various regions. The authority emphasised that even a small amount of moving water can be dangerous, advising people to avoid crossing bridges during floods and to seek shelter in secure locations. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1214903-kohat-basement-flooding-claims-11-lives-leaves-family-devastated

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/7/30/israels-war-on-gaza-live-ceasefire-needed-to-stop-polio-who