National Disaster Response Force workers rescue residents in Chikhali in the western Indian state of Maharashtra (National Disaster Response Force/AP)Days of landslides and flooding triggered by heavy monsoon rains in western India have killed at least 113 people and injured 50 others, officials said on Sunday, as rescuers scrambled to find at least 100 still missing. A government spokesman said more than 130,000 people were rescued from nearly 900 affected villages across Maharashtra state. Officials said one of the worst-hit villages was Talai, 168 miles (270km) south of Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra state and also India’s financial and entertainment hub. Disasters caused by landslides and flooding are common in India during the June-September monsoon season, when heavy rain weakens the foundations of structures that are often poorly built. Last weekend, more than 30 people were killed in landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rain in and around Mumbai.

Source: Irish Independent July 25, 2021 08:48 UTC