Rescue operations continue at Amarnath; heavy rains in Maharashtra, Telangana
After flash floods triggered by a cloudburst near the Amarnath shrine in Kashmir killed 16 on Friday, four Mi-17V5 and four Cheetal helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were deployed for rescue and relief efforts. Meanwhile, various areas of Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district are witnessing a flood-like situation amid torrential rains. Also, the IMD has issued a red alert as heavy rain batters Telangana.
IAF deploys 8 helicopters after Amarnath cloudburst incident
At least 16 people were killed and dozens swept away by the flash floods triggered by a cloudburst near the revered cave shrine of Amarnath in Kashmir on Friday evening. Over 15,000 pilgrims have moved to the lower base camp and more than 40 people are reportedly still missing even as the IAF has deployed helicopters for relief and rescue operations.
Heavy rains in Maharashtra, most districts on alert
Even as several parts of Maharashtra have been witnessing heavy rainfall over the past few days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Mumbai and Thane till Sunday. Meanwhile, a flood-like situation occurred in several areas of the Gadchiroli district. Reportedly, almost all the districts were on high alert and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has been monitoring the situation personally.
IMD issues red alert in Telangana
The IMD has reportedly issued a red alert in eight districts of Telangana—Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Mancherial, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Nizamabad, Nirmal, Adilabad, and Hyderabad—for Saturday and Sunday. As rains battered the state, CM K Chandrasekhar Rao asked authorities to stay on alert. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and rescue teams have also been asked to be ready in flood-prone areas.
Karnataka to witness rains till today
The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre issued alerts for Udupi, Mangaluru, Kodagu, Uttara Kannada, Chickamagalur, Shimoga, and Hassan amid heavy rains till Saturday. The entire state is expected to receive moderate to very heavy rains. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike was predicted to witness light rains on Saturday with the maximum and minimum temperatures settling at 25 and 20 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Flood situation in Assam improves
The flood situation in Assam saw considerable improvement on Saturday with all rivers flowing below the danger levels and no deaths being recorded. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority's bulletin, 6,27,874 people are still affected by the deluge. So far, 190 people have died due to floods and landslides in the state this year. Among the worst-affected districts are Cachar and Morigaon.
