30+ Dead, Missing in India Floods
At least 30 people are dead or missing after flash floods hit southern India.
Reports from India revealed Saturday that more than 30 people went dead or missing after flash floods, with three buses washed away in one incident.
A dozen bodies were found by rescue teams after the three buses were washed away in Andhra Pradesh state on Friday. At least 18 others are still missing.
Analysts say unpredictable and extreme weather across South Asia is driven by climate change, exacerbated by damming, deforestation, and excessive development.
Heavy rains have been triggering floods and landslides since October, and the country’s Met Office said more heavy rains were expected in several southern areas on Saturday.
At least 42 people were killed last month when heavy rains pummelled Kerala, and authorities in the state halted on Friday entry to Sabarimala, one of Hinduism's holiest shrines, due to heavy rains in the area.
Sabarimala's shrine opened last week, as hundreds of devotees had been making the trek for the annual two-month-long pilgrimage season.
The Pamba river is considered holy by the pilgrims. However, its rising water levels forced officials to stop devotees for a day, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported Saturday.