Monsoon weather hammers India

A plane skidded off a runway upon landing in southern India on Friday and split into two pieces, killing 18 people and injuring 123 others. Monsoon-like conditions contributed to the crash, and forecasters predicted more heavy rain for the region. The coronavirus pandemic has grounded regular commercial flights in the country, but this one was repatriating Indian citizens who were stranded outside the country during the pandemic, authorities said.

Has the weather caused other problems? A mudslide in the same region killed at least 29 people and buried 20 homes. More than 50 residents remained missing after the disaster wiped out a bridge and brought down power lines. So far this year, severe weather has displaced about 9.6 million people across South Asia and killed more than 550 people in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Dig deeper: Read Onize Ohikere’s report in World Tour about the recent outbreak of violence at the India-Pakistan border.