Monsoon flood wreaks havoc in northern states, 121 dead in Kerala, Delhi on high alert

A flood-like situation prevailed across northern parts of India, leaving several people dead, injured and missing in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab. A flood alert has been issued in parts of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh as Yamuna and other rivers were in spate.

While heavy rains have claimed 22 lives in Himachal Pradesh over the past two days, the meteorological department on Monday predicted heavy downpour for parts of the state in the next 24 hours. In Punjab and Haryana, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has rescued nine persons stuck in Karnal district due to sudden rise of water in the River Yamuna.

Four persons, who got stuck near an under-construction bridge in Jammu following a sudden increase in the water level of Tawi river, have been retrieved in a 'daring' rescue operation by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday noon. Last week, three people were killed and two others injured in a landslide that took place in Laar village of Resai district's Mahore belt.

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Moving on to the southern India, the death count in rain-related incident in Kerala rose to 121 with the retrieval of more bodies. While 40 people are found injured 21 others are still missing in the flood-ravaged state.

Kerala: Death toll in flood-related incidents rises to 121. 40 people injured, 21 still missing. #KeralaFloods pic.twitter.com/FchLlaiG98

— ANI (@ANI) August 19, 2019

Delhi witnessed rains with the maximum temperature settling at 29.7 degrees Celsius, four notches below the season's average, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 24.8 degrees Celsius, two notches below the season's average. As the water level in the Yamuna river neared warning level, the Delhi government sounded a flood alert for the city and asked people living in the low-lying areas to move to safer places.

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In Uttar Pradesh, several rivers, including Ganga, Yamuna and Ghaghra, are in spate. Ganga is flowing above the danger mark in Badaun, Garhmukteshwar, Naraura and Farrukhabad. Similarly, the Sharda river at Paliakalan and the Ghaghra river at Elginbridge are flowing above the red mark, the Central Water Commission said.

In Uttarakhand, three people were killed and around 22 went missing as heavy rains lashed the state. Cloudbursts in Mori block of Uttarkashi district wreaked havoc in several villages, damaging several houses in Arakot, Makuri and Tikochi villages. A woman was also washed away in Dehradun district when her car fell into a seasonal river, they said.

Monsoon flood also wreaked havoc in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal, with nearly 100 people lost their lives so far in these states.