Since Friday, the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Odisha have been hit by heavy rains causing floods and landslides that resulted in at least 50 people being killed. About one thousand people have been forced to leave their homes while rescue operations are being carried out to find the missing.
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According to reports, some of the deaths reported have been caused by residential buildings collapsing with residents still inside. A government official reported that in the Himalayan state at least 36 people died, while in neighboring Uttarakhand, 13 people are missing and four appeared dead.
Helicopters are being used by emergency workers for the rescue of people in the most remote areas. Odisha authorities have reported the death of six people, among them, two children.
On Monday, local authorities decided to evacuate 120 000 people from low-lying areas due to the risk posed by the numerous rivers that flow through the state and into the Bay of Bengal.
As a result of the rainwater flowing down from the state of Jharkhand to the north, the rivers are already perilously close to overflowing their banks. On Sunday, Jharkhand's authorities reported that five people were swept away by the Nalkari river.