27 Aug 2018 | 11:32 AM UTC
India: Monsoon death toll reaching 1,000
Monsoon storms and flooding season have killed more than 1,200 in South Asia (Indian subcontinent region), so far this year, with over 1,000 deaths reported in India alone
Event
According to regional data, over 1,200 have died across South Asia in monsoon-related incidents (storms, rainfalls, floodings and landslides) in 2018. The Indian southern Kerala state, which accounts for half of the 1,000 deaths reported nationwide, the neighbouring Karnataka state with 160 killed, Uttar Pradesh with over 200 fatalities and West Bengal states with nearly 200 killed were among the worst severely hit. In Nepal, monsoon-related accidents killed 90 people since June. In Sri Lanka, the death toll from monsoon floods is similarly high. In Bangladesh, floods and landslides killed over 30 people.
Context
In South Asia, the monsoon season lasts from June to September, usually causing widespread destruction and killing hundreds of people. In June 2013, flooding and landslides killed nearly 6,000 people in India's northern Uttarakhand state.
Advice
Individuals present in the aforementioned states are advised to monitor weather forecasts, refrain from traveling to flooded areas, and follow any instructions issued by local authorities. Please be advised that driving or walking through running water can be dangerous - 15 cm (6 in) of running water is enough to knock over an adult - and that floodwater may contain wastewater or chemical products; all items that have come into contact with the polluted water should be disinfected and all food discarded. Please be aware that the risk of contracting water- and mosquito-borne diseases tends to rise after periods of heavy rain.
