Floods kill 16 in India

At least sixteen people have died on Saturday and Sunday due to heavy rains and flooding in 16 districts of Uttar Pradesh in India.

The worst affected is the Shahjahanpur district, where six people have died while three people died in Sitapur district and four in Amethi and Auraiya districts. As many as 461 houses have been damaged, according to the data released by Indian government.

The Air Force has rushed choppers from the Gwalior air base for rescue work in the state. So far they have rescued 14 people stranded in the Lalitpur and Jhansi districts.

The death toll in the current cycle of floods and rain stands well over 200 across the state.  The met office has predicted "heavy to very heavy rain" at isolated places over western Uttar Pradesh.

Dramatic footage from the Lalitpur district in drought-prone Bundelkhand showed Indian Air Force helicopters rescuing marooned people stuck in a village in Talbehat tehsil.

In Jhansi district, eight fishermen were stranded on an island near Erech Dam on the Betwa River after a sudden rise in the water level following a heavy downpour.

“All six people were successfully rescued in Lalitpur district. The IAF team did a fantastic job," news agency press Trust of India quoted state Relief Commissioner Sanjay Kumar as saying. "The district magistrate of Jhansi has confirmed that all eight fishermen have been successfully rescued by an IAF team," the officer added.

The floods in Uttar Pradesh come weeks after the devastating floods that brought Kerala to its knees. More than 350 people have died in what turned out to be the worst monsoon in the state in a Century.

Kerala said the floods caused damage to the tune of Rs 195 billion, wiping out houses, crops and infrastructure across vast stretches of the state.

Source: NDTV