INDIA MOBILIZES NAVY FOR SURVIVORS AS FLOOD DEATH TOLL RISES

Sat 24 July 2021:

Rescuers crawled through mud and debris in a frantic search for survivors in India after heavy rains in countries’ western state of Maharashtra triggered landslides, flooding, and a building collapse, killing dozens of people.

The state government said in a statement on Saturday the death toll in multiple monsoon-related accidents since Thursday had risen to at least 76, with dozens of people missing. Other reports said the number of people killed had exceeded 100.

Nearly 90,000 people have been evacuated in Maharashtra so far.

Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said emergency workers were struggling to reach cut-off neighbourhoods in Chiplun because of damage to roads and bridges there.

“We will do whatever it takes to save lives and property,” he told reporters. “This disaster has hit the entire state from Nagpur in the east to Mahabaleshwar in the west. The rains have been unprecedented and we’re facing an unexpected emergency.”

India’s Ministry of Defense said that it will use its navy for relief and rescue operations as floods worsen in several states.

“With large parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa reeling under extensive flooding of both urban and rural areas caused by incessant rains and consequent overflowing of riverbanks and dams over the last few days, the Western Naval Command of the Indian Navy has mobilised considerable resources to provide assistance to State and District administrations of affected areas,” the ministry said in a press release.

Seven Naval Flood Rescue Teams (FRT) were deployed to a number of districts in the western state of Maharashtra on July 22.

A Seaking 42C Helicopter was mobilized for aerial reconnaissance.

“Torrential rainfall in various parts of the state often coinciding with high tides and also discharge from dams led to various regions … getting inundated thereby resulting in floods across multiple districts,” the statement said.

In hard-hit Raigad, south of Mumbai, where landslides buried dozens of houses, at least 47 people were killed and 53 others were feared trapped under layers of mud.

The downpour caused the Savitri river to burst its banks, leaving the town of Mahad completely inaccessible by road, and prompting terrified residents to climb onto rooftops and upper floors to escape swelling waters.

The southwestern state of Karnataka received on July 23 an Indian Naval Emergency Response Team (ERT) which comprises of 17 divers. The team had evacuated over 100 stranded people in the Singudda and Bhaire villages.

Teams are on high alert in Mumbai in case immediate deployment is needed.

India’s meteorological department has issued red alerts for several regions in the state, indicating that heavy rainfall will continue for the next few days.

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