Heavy rains have pushed the death toll higher in northern India, with authorities confirming a rise to 42 fatalities. Disaster management officials report that the toll is spread across several states, including 20 deaths in Himachal Pradesh, 15 in Jammu and Kashmir, five in Delhi, and one fatality each in Rajasthan and Haryana. The surge in casualties reflects a series of powerful weather events that have battered the region in recent days. [citation: Hindustan Times]
The storm triggered landslides and floods that devastated homes, swept away vehicles, and inundated cities and agricultural land. The most severe impacts were concentrated in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and the capital city New Delhi, where schools were temporarily closed as a precaution against continued rainfall. Infrastructure suffered extensive damage, with interruptions to roads, electrical grids, and water systems. Across affected districts, emergency services have been active coordinating rescue and relief efforts as communities begin to recover from the flooding and related hazards. [citation: Hindustan Times]
Himachal Pradesh’s government leader, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, stated that the death toll in the last week stands at 17, while noting that the total estimated losses have reached about 4,000 crore rupees (roughly 44 million euros). Weather agencies, including the Indian Meteorological Department, anticipate continued rainfall – ranging from light to moderate in most areas and heavy to very heavy in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh through the coming day. The IMD also indicated that the rainfall pattern is expected to ease in the north and shift toward the eastern regions, although red and orange alerts remain in effect for the next 24 hours in Himachal Pradesh. [citation: IMD advisories]