56 dead as heavy rains lash Uttar Pradesh

Heavy rainfall triggered floods and landslides across India and Nepal, claiming at least 68 lives over the past three days, disaster authorities reported on Sunday. In India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, 56 fatalities occurred in the span of three days, with over a thousand homes destroyed, according to the relief commissioner's office.

Neighboring Nepal, already grappling with the devastating August 26 flood, faced another wave of flooding and landslides, resulting in 12 deaths since Thursday. Shanti Mahat, spokesperson for Nepal's disaster authority, told AFP that seven more individuals remain missing. Climate scientists have warned of an increasing frequency of extreme weather events in South Asia, attributing them to rising temperatures and shifting climate patterns.

Last month's flooding in Nepal, triggered by a glacial mountain collapse on the China-Nepal border, resulted in over 1,400 deaths and left thousands missing. Uttar Pradesh, home to more than 240 million people, is regularly hit by rain and thunderstorms during the annual monsoon season, which spans from June to September. The latest deaths came during a period of "exceptionally heavy rain" after a "depression over the Bay of Bengal moved inland and intensified rainfall across the region," the statement added.

The state recorded 66.5 millimeters of rain between Friday and Sunday, compared to the season average of 7.6 millimeters. The heavy rain caused extensive crop damage, prompting farmers to express concerns over delays in the upcoming planting season. In eastern India's Odisha state, over 70,000 residents in low-lying areas were evacuated after rivers swelled due to heavy rainfall, as reported by NDTV news network.

The rains damaged bridges and culverts, leading officials to close Devkund, a popular tourist destination in the state. Monsoon-related disasters are an annual occurrence across India following long summers when many regions face water scarcity and drought.