Three days of relentless rains have sparked flash floods and landslides in large parts of India, Nepal and Bangladesh, killing at least 173. Officials warn the toll could rise with more rain forecast in the coming days.
Advertisement
The worst affected area is Nepal, where police are still searching for scores of people reported missing after rivers burst their banks and killed dozens.
Police said about 50,000 homes have been totally submerged by the floods across the Himalayan republic's southern planes. The region is Nepal's most fertile region and home to much of its agriculture.
"We are getting reports that about 70 percent of agriculture in the Tarai is inundated," said Shankar Sapkota, senior agricultural economist with the government.
"Paddy fields, vegetable plantations and fish farms have been affected but right now we cannot confirm the extent of damage," he said.
The Nepal Red Cross warned that shortages of safe drinking water and food could create a humanitarian crisis in the impoverished nation.
Millions affected
In India, the flood-prone north-eastern state of Assam is reeling under a second wave of floods, with around 200,000 people living in emergency camps. Flood-related incidents have already claimed more than 100 lives in the state this year.
The train services to Assam and other northeastern states from the rest of the country have been stopped until Wednesday with sections of the track completely submerged in water.
Large parts of the eastern state of Bihar are inundated, driving tens of thousands of people out of their homes. Several rivers are flowing at dangerous levels in the state, south of Nepal.
Landslides and flooding are common across South Asia during the monsoon season, a situation that has worsened in recent years thanks to widespread deforestation and poor urban planning.
Bangladesh on edge
Bangladesh deployed troops to shore up embankments in the north of the country, where flooding has killed 22 people.
Up to 600,000 people have been rendered homeless by flood waters after rivers burst their banks following days of heavy rain.
"We've not seen such severe floods in Dinajpur since 1988," local government administrator Kazi Hasan Ahmed said, referring to the worst-hit district. "The town protection embankment was washed away by flood water, submerging most of the main town."
The government's flood monitoring and forecasting agency has warned that water levels in some major rivers would continue to rise over the next 72 hours, raising fears of flooding in other regions.
ap/jm (AFP,AP)
Severe floods and landslides batter Sri Lanka
More than half a million people have been displaced in Sri Lanka amid the worst floods and landslides in over a decade. There seems to be little respite ahead, as authorities warn of more heavy rain in the upcoming days.
Image: Imago/Xinhua
Mounting toll of dead and missing
Four days of severe floods and landslides in the southern and western parts of Sri Lanka have left more than 150 people dead. In excess of 110 people are reported missing while another 95 are currently hospitalized due to injuries. Most of the victims were killed by landslides when their hillside houses were buried under torrents of mud and rock.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/L. Wanniarachchi
Worst flooding in over a decade
The current spell of flooding is the worst since May 2003, when 250 people were killed and more than 10,000 houses were destroyed in similar circumstances. Last year, flooding and landslides claimed more than 100 lives on the island. Sri Lanka usually receives the heaviest rainfall from May till September, but heavy downpours can cause havoc in the northwest from November to February as well.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/I. S. Kodikara
Relief operations gain momentum
The Sri Lankan government said relief operations intensified on Sunday following a break in the downpours. The military has deployed helicopters, boats and amphibious vehicles to distribute aid. Meanwhile, the Colombo government has also sought international assistance, appealing to the United Nations and neighboring countries.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Jayawardena
Authorities and civilians work hand in hand
More than 2,000 security personnel are taking part in the relief operations. They also have the assistance of some 10,000 civilian volunteers who are helping with the collection of dry rations, cooking meals and the transport of victims from the affected areas.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Jaywardena
Damage to property
Approximately 2,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. Almost half a million people have been forced from their homes and are sheltering in government buildings or with friends and relatives. The charity organization Save the Children said about one-tenth of the displaced were aged below five.
Image: Imago/Xinhua
Looming threats
Residents in the south of the country also face the threat of crocodile attacks after a river known for its dangerous wildlife burst its banks overnight. Fears of stagnant floodwaters becoming breeding grounds for dengue-spreading mosquitoes are also widespread, with children being most vulnerable. Medical teams were sent to the worst-hit areas to help prevent an outbreak of waterborne diseases.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/I. S. Kodikara
The worst is over - but more is coming
Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Center (DMC) has extended a weather alert in seven of the country's 25 districts, warning of heavy showers and possible landslides on Monday and Tuesday as well.