India monsoon floods kill scores, leaves tens
of thousands stranded
Published on Jun 18, 2013
7:08 PM
A Hindu devotee tries to take a holy dip in the flooded waters of the Ganges in the northern Indian town of Haridwar on
Tuesday, June 18, 2013. Early monsoon rains have swollen the Ganges, India's longest river, swept away houses, killed at
least 60 people and left tens of thousands stranded, officials said on Tuesday. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
DHARAMSALA, India (REUTERS) - Early monsoon rains have swollen the Ganges, India's longest river,
swept away houses, killed at least 60 people and left tens of thousands stranded, officials said on Tuesday.
The rains are at least twice as heavy as usual in north-west and central India as the June-September
monsoon spreads north, covering the whole country a month faster than normal.
The National Disaster Management Authority said a response force of 12 teams of 45 people each had
been in action since Sunday, in addition to the army and border police.
In the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, where officials say at least 60 people had been killed, air force
helicopters airdropped commandos to help rescue some of the tens of thousands of people unable to move
because of the floods.
"We are on a war footing, we are working day and night,"said R. Rajesh Kumar, a district official in
Uttarkashi, where two national highways have been blocked.
The district has set up 32 camps to provide food and water for about 5,000 pilgrims and tourists caught by
the floods while visiting local holy sites. The Ganges is sacred to Hindus.
Rains, which were 48 per cent above normal across India up until June 16, are expected to ease up in the
next week, according to weather department officials.
In the eastern state of Orissa, flash floods destroyed at least 678 houses and damaged crops in storage, the
state's deputy relief commissioner, P.R. Mohapatra, said.
So far, the rains have not hit the summer sowing season in India, as planting of rice, sugar, cotton and
other agricultural produce is not yet in full swing.
India is one of the world's biggest producers and consumers of grains and about 55 per cent of its farmland
relies on the monsoon for water.
Heavy rain early in the June-September season makes planting easier, but if flooding persists, stagnant
water can delay sowing or damage early rice shoots.
Spanish floods force evacuations, cut power
Published on Jun 19, 2013
12:50 AM
MADRID (AP) - Days of torrential rain and melting snow have caused flooding in the Pyrenees region of
north-eastern Spain, forcing the evacuation of around 500 people and knocking out power.
Officials in the Catalonia region said on Tuesday that three mountain rivers have burst their banks and
flooded streets, homes and farmland in the area.
The flooding left some 4,000 people without power and forced the closure of four roads.
Weather forecasters expected the rain to ease off later in the day, but emergency services in more than a
dozen municipalities were on alert.
The area is best known for its winter skiing.