Wednesday, August 22, 2012

At least 20 people have been killed by heavy monsoon rains in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan - @BBCNews

Indian women protect themselves with an umbrella from monsoon showers at Bharatpur in Rajasthan state, India, Monsoon rains have affected normal life in Rajasthan

At least 20 people have been killed by heavy monsoon rains in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan.

The rains have disrupted normal life in the state capital, Jaipur, since Tuesday and flooded many areas.

About 20,000 people living in the city have been forced to flee their homes due to flooding.

Earlier this month, at least 34 people died in northern Uttarakhand state after torrential rains triggered landslides and flash floods.

Rajasthan's meteorological department said Jaipur was experiencing the heaviest rains since 1981, causing flooding in low lying neighbourhoods and slum areas.

At least 10 of the people killed in the state died in the city, some of them in house collapses.

Many people have taken shelter on the rooftops of homes, and rescue workers from a local paramilitary force have been deployed to evacuate them.

In June, at least 27 people died and one million people were forced to leave their homes by floods as rains lashed the north-eastern state of Assam.