Flood in India

Intense monsoon rains have caused major flooding in the Krishna River floodplains affecting the two major cities of Vijayawada and Khammam and their surrounding areas. Vijayawada, the commercial capital of Andhra Pradesh, is experiencing the worst flooding in two decades with the Budameru River flooding 40% of the city and stranding nearly 275,000 people in more than a dozen residential areas.

At least 16 people have been killed in Telangana state, and nine in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, with thousands rescued and taken to relief camps. Houses collapsed and were swept away and infrastructure such as road and rail traffic has been badly affected.

Disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in both India and Pakistan during the June-September monsoon season. Scientists and weather forecasters have blamed climate change for heavier rains in recent years.