Intense monsoon rains and floods in India’s southern states have resulted in at least 25 deaths, with thousands rescued and relocated to relief camps, disaster officials reported Monday. Telangana has recorded 16 fatalities, while Andhra Pradesh has seen nine deaths in the past two days. Y Nagi Reddy, director general of Telangana’s disaster response and fire service, stated that the region experienced 400 millimeters of rainfall in the last 24 hours, causing significant damage to homes.
Approximately 3,800 people have been evacuated from Telangana to relief camps. The Indian Air Force has deployed over 200 rescue personnel and delivered 30 tonnes of emergency supplies to both affected states.
While seasonal rains often bring destruction, experts warn that climate change is intensifying weather patterns and increasing extreme weather events. Last week, floods in Gujarat resulted in 28 deaths over three days.
In August, Tripura in northeastern India was also affected by floods and landslides, resulting in over 20 deaths. In neighboring Bangladesh, which lies downstream, floods have claimed at least 40 lives and displaced nearly 300,000 residents who are now in emergency shelters.