UAE expresses solidarity with India, offers condolences over flood victims
Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues statement wishing the injured a speedy recovery
Abu Dhabi: The UAE has expressed its sincere condolences and solidarity with India over the victims of the heavy rains and floods in two states in the north of the country, which resulted in multiple deaths and injuries, and caused extensive damage.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the Indian government and people, and to the families of the victims, and its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured.
Death toll rises to 57
Rescuers pulled out more bodies on Tuesday after landslides in Himayalas over the weekend buried homes and buildings, killing at least 57 people and leaving 10 still trapped or missing, officials said.
Torrential rains, which have frequently triggered deadly flash floods and landslides in the mountains of India and neighbouring Pakistan and Nepal over the past few years, have been attributed to climate change and unabated construction.
The destruction from the landslides was severe in India's Himachal Pradesh, where structures were swept away under rocks and falling trees, roads had caved in, and power and the railway network disrupted.
Three more bodies were pulled out on Tuesday from the site of a temple that collapsed after landslides in state capital Shimla, where 14 people were killed in rain-related incidents, said disaster management official Praveen Bhardwaj.
At least 55 people have died in the state due to the disaster, Bhardwaj said. Two people also died in neighbouring Uttarakhand state in rain-related incidents.
Heavy rain is forecast to continue until Wednesday in parts of Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring Uttarakhand. Both states suffered widespread damage last month, too, due to incessant downpours, and have recorded 45% and 18% above-normal rainfall during this monsoon season that began June 1.