At least 36 people have died and more than 1,000 others trapped due to floods and landslides caused by the heavy rains pounding India’s western state of Maharashtra, Aljazeera reported.
“Due to landslides in Talai village, Raigad around 35 people have lost their lives. Rescue operation is underway at many places,” said a Maharashtra state government official, as reported by Al Jazeera.
“I have ordered the evacuation & relocation of people who are living in areas where there is a possibility of landslide: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray,” the official added, according to Al Jazeera. (RELATED: Man Holds Onto Tree For 16 Hours During Floods That Have Killed At Least 1,000)
Rising water levels in the district, located about 70 kilometers (about 43 miles) south of Mumbai, have forced authorities to use helicopters and ask isolated citizens to await rescue on rooftops, the Independent reported.
Incessant rain over the last 24 hours has led to devastating floods in parts of Maharashtra. Visuals from Mahabaleshwar#MaharashtraFloods pic.twitter.com/hj6FUnu1wA
— NDTV (@ndtv) July 23, 2021
More than 24 hours of uninterrupted heavy rain caused the waters of the Vashishti River to rise above its bed, and several districts of the city of Chiplun were submerged to 3.5 meters (about 11 feet) deep, Hindustan times reported.
As reported by the economic times, India, the Indian Navy, and Air Force have since joined forces to help thousands of people affected by the floods.
According to ABC News, Floods and landslides are frequent during the monsoon season in India, as is the collapse of buildings due to poor infrastructure and maintenance.