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Thursday October 17, 2024

Two killed, 28 missing in north India floods

By AFP
August 02, 2024
Indias National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) shows NDRF personnel conducting a search and rescue operation after cloudburst near Shimla on August 1, 2024. — AFP
India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) shows NDRF personnel conducting a search and rescue operation after cloudburst near Shimla on August 1, 2024. — AFP

NEW DELHI: Heavy monsoon downpours in India´s Himalayan foothills triggered flash floods that killed two people, officials said on Thursday, with the hunt on for around 28 others still missing.

Rescue crews worked through the night at two flood sites in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh.

Mandi district official Madan Kumar told AFP that rescuers had recovered two bodies.

“One other person is seriously injured and eight people are missing,” said Kumar.

“Several houses have been damaged.”

In neighbouring Shimla district, a popular tourist destination in India´s rugged north, local official Abhishek Verma said rescue crews were searching for around 20 more people believed missing.

Monsoon rains across the region from June to September offer respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies.