Rain-related incidents kill 22
New Delhi/Jammu/Dehradun/ Kohima, July 21 -- At least 22 people have died across Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Nagaland due to landslides, sudden floods, road accidents triggered by incessant rainfall on Monday.
The fatalities continued for the second consecutive day even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted that the monsoon will see a revival over northwest India this week, with "active monsoon" conditions likely over both northeast and northwest India till the end of this week.
"The monsoon trough has moved southwards, towards its normal position. This, alongside active weather systems, will lead to increased rainfall over northwest and northeast India," said an India Meteorological Department official.
Among states, J&K remained the most affected on Monday, where 11 people were killed due to fresh rain-related incidents. In Poonch district, seven people were buried alive after a landslide triggered by heavy rain brought down their mud house in upper reaches of Loran, officials said.
SHO of Loran police station, inspector Mohammad Younus Khan said, "Amid heavy rains a landslide hit a mud house in Domila Dhook area of Loran early Monday leaving 7 people dead."
Earlier in the day, a passenger bus was hit by a rock that rolled down from a hillock near Raggi Nallah along the Jammu-Kishtwar National Highway in Doda district.
Two people died in the incident reported at around 9.30 am. "The incident left two passengers dead and six others injured," a police officer said.
In the Kashtigarh area of the district, a woman identified as Shiv Devi was killed after being hit by a stone near her house.
The body of Vikas Ahmed, who was swept away in flash floods, was recovered at the Salani area of Rajouri town, the officials said. With this, the combined toll in rain-related incidents in three districts of Poonch, Rajouri and Doda has mounted to 22 from Sunday's 11 with several still feared missing.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah announced an ex gratia relief of Rs.6 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased.
In Uttarakhand, a child went missing after being swept away by the swollen Saryu River in the Kapkot area of Bageshwar district, while another person died after being struck by lightning in a forest near Phu village in the Dharchula area of Pithoragarh district, officials said.
IMD has issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in Dehradun, Tehri, and Haridwar districts, and an orange alert for the remaining districts.
Meanwhile, Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio visited the landslide-hit Mon town on Monday, where nine people were feared dead the previous day.
On Sunday, four bodies were found, and the officials said two more bodies were found on Monday. "The total bodies retrieved stands at seven.
Two more persons are still missing in the debris and search and rescue volunteers are continuing to look for them," deputy commissioner Mon Wennyei Konyak told HT....
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