Over 20 dead from extreme flooding and landslides in northern India

Heavy monsoon rains caused landslides and flash floods that washed away infrastructure and buildings in India over the weekend. Flooded streets left residents stranded in some buildings. In the northern district of Kullu, deputy commissioner Ashutosh Garg said that the priority was to restore electricity and mobile networks so that stranded individuals could reach out for help. The government was distributing food and other support to those stranded, he said.

Is this amount of rain normal for the region? India often has severe floods during monsoon season, which lasts from June until September. Some regions have received over ten times their yearly rainfall for this time of year. Neighboring Pakistan has also experienced flooding this season, with dozens of weather-related deaths over the last month. Pakistani officials recently evacuated 500 people from villages in its eastern Punjab Province.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Muse on how Italian preservationists are rescuing flood-damaged manuscripts.