13 Killed In India Flood

Monsoon downpours caused flash floods that killed 13 people in India’s Himalayan foothills, officials said today, with helicopters rescuing hundreds stranded near a renowned Hindu shrine.
Flooding and landslides are common and cause widespread devastation during India’s treacherous monsoon season, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity as thirteen deaths have been reported across the northern state of Uttarakhand so far, disaster official Vinod Kumar Suman revealed.
District officials said around 700 people were rescued by airlift while travelling to Kedarnath temple, a popular pilgrimage destination dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva.
Monsoon rains across the region from June to September offer respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies, they are also vital for agriculture, and therefore the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security for South Asia’s nearly two billion people.
Recall that more than 200 people were killed in the southern state of Kerala earlier this week when landslides hit villages and tea plantations, with search and rescue operations ongoing.