94 die in torrential rains, flash floods in India's Gujarat state
AFP
July 1, 2005
AHMEDABAD, India - At least 94 people have died and some 200,000 have been evacuated due to heavy rains and flash floods in India's western coastal state of Gujarat, officials said amid warnings of worse to come.
"The flood situation is likely to worsen in Gujarat. We have to be prepared for the worst floods," Science Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters in New Delhi on Friday. "Only after July 4 or 5 will there be a substantial fall in rainfall."
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, meanwhile, has offered "all help for flood relief," his office said, as Home Minister Shivraj Patil headed for Gujarat to assess the situation.
The floods in Gujarat, which began six days ago, have inundated scores of villages and water has overwhelmed residential suburbs of many towns, including worst-affected Vadodra, state government officials said.
Most of the 94 deaths occurred when people, both adults and children, were washed away by strong currents after dams overflowed, while others were crushed when buildings collapsed or were buried in mudslides, officials said.
They added that around 200,000 people in the affected areas of the state had been moved to higher ground by Friday.
Dozens of train services were delayed due to water-logged tracks while some had to be cancelled, marooning hundreds of passengers on railway platforms.
The rains have also disrupted flights and left vehicles stranded on water-logged highways, while all schools in the state were closed until Monday, education officials said.
Army and paramilitary personnel have been deployed to reach those trapped but bad weather prevented rescue helicopters from lifting those stranded in many places. [...]
http://signs-of-the-times.org/signs/signs20050701.htm
July 1, 2005
AHMEDABAD, India - At least 94 people have died and some 200,000 have been evacuated due to heavy rains and flash floods in India's western coastal state of Gujarat, officials said amid warnings of worse to come.
"The flood situation is likely to worsen in Gujarat. We have to be prepared for the worst floods," Science Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters in New Delhi on Friday. "Only after July 4 or 5 will there be a substantial fall in rainfall."
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, meanwhile, has offered "all help for flood relief," his office said, as Home Minister Shivraj Patil headed for Gujarat to assess the situation.
The floods in Gujarat, which began six days ago, have inundated scores of villages and water has overwhelmed residential suburbs of many towns, including worst-affected Vadodra, state government officials said.
Most of the 94 deaths occurred when people, both adults and children, were washed away by strong currents after dams overflowed, while others were crushed when buildings collapsed or were buried in mudslides, officials said.
They added that around 200,000 people in the affected areas of the state had been moved to higher ground by Friday.
Dozens of train services were delayed due to water-logged tracks while some had to be cancelled, marooning hundreds of passengers on railway platforms.
The rains have also disrupted flights and left vehicles stranded on water-logged highways, while all schools in the state were closed until Monday, education officials said.
Army and paramilitary personnel have been deployed to reach those trapped but bad weather prevented rescue helicopters from lifting those stranded in many places. [...]
http://signs-of-the-times.org/signs/signs20050701.htm
posted by ... at 12:23 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home