Northern India was battered by heavy rains, causing flooding and landslides that closed schools and left at least 22 people dead, according to officials and local media.
English
22 dead as heavy rainfall and landslides wreak havoc in North India
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Most of the precipitation categorized as extreme rain — more than 20 centimeters, or about 8 inches — was concentrated in the northern tip of India; the state of Punjab recorded 35 centimeters, according to the department.
The department issued a “red alert” for the state of Himachal Pradesh, forecasting flooding and landslides on Monday and advising residents to stay away from “vulnerable structures.” The state was already hit hard by the extreme weather over the weekend, with landslides and instances of severe flooding reported. At least seven people died in landslides there, including three members of a family who perished when a house collapsed, the Times of India reported.
More than two dozen people were stranded overnight this weekend after a river “changed its course,” leaving the people “stuck in the middle of the river,” said Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, chief minister of Himachal Pradesh. Tourists stranded in parts of the state because of damaged roads were set to be evacuated by “road or air, as soon as the weather permits.” The chief minister said he spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday about the situation.
