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UN disaster management team closely monitoring India floods

Severe floods devastated large areas of Cambodia, Viet Nam, the Philippines, and the Democratic People Republic of Korea (November 2011).
UNISDR/Brigitte Leoni
Severe floods devastated large areas of Cambodia, Viet Nam, the Philippines, and the Democratic People Republic of Korea (November 2011).

UN disaster management team closely monitoring India floods

The United Nations Disaster Management Team in India is closely monitoring the situation in the north, where torrential rains have triggered floods and landslides that have reportedly killed at least 70 people and left thousands stranded.

In the state of Uttarakhand, rising river levels have resulted in the collapse of buildings and bridges. Some 45 people were reportedly killed and 50 people are missing, UN spokesperson Eduardo del Buey told reporters in New York.

A large number of people are trapped around the holy town of Kedarnath, located in a valley, according to media reports.

Flooding has also affected other parts of India – where the monsoon season generally lasts from June to September – including Haryana, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.

Mr. del Buey said that the UN team is monitoring the situation through its field offices.

“No request for international assistance has been made,” he noted.