Floods in India kill 13 in Himalayas, Hindu pilgrims airlifted

Flash floods triggered by the monsoon have killed 13 people in the Himalayan foothills of India, while thousands of pilgrims are stranded on their way to a famous Hindu shrine, authorities said Friday (August 2). “We are flying several helicopters to bring down the pilgrims who were on their way”said Vinod Kumar Suman, Uttarakhand’s disaster management officer. Some 3,700 people have already been rescued while they were on their way to the Kedarnath temple.

Monsoons that sweep across South Asia from June to September provide a respite from the summer heat and are essential for replenishing water supplies. But they also lead to floods and landslides, causing damage and multiple deaths that have increased in recent years, particularly due to climate change, experts say.