NEW DELHI: According to the Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra), ten Malaysians who were stranded in the flood-hit state of Himachal Pradesh in India are now safe and are expected to reach New Delhi soon. Earlier reports stated that twelve Malaysian hikers were missing in the state, but the Malaysian Foreign Ministry clarified that the group included one Chinese and one British citizen. The High Commission of Malaysia in New Delhi managed to contact one of the stranded Malaysians, who confirmed that all of them were safe in Manali town. Efforts are being made to bring them to New Delhi on Thursday, with plans for the group to take a flight back to Malaysia on the same day, should the evacuation plan go smoothly.
Heavy monsoon rains have caused widespread floods and landslides in various parts of northern India. Himachal Pradesh is currently the worst affected state, with significant damage to roads and infrastructure reported in Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Haryana. Local media reports suggest that 90 people have lost their lives in Himachal during this monsoon spell, while the death toll in Punjab and Haryana is 21. Uttar Pradesh has also recorded twelve deaths due to rain-related incidents in a 24-hour period. Authorities have issued a flood alert for many districts in western Uttar Pradesh, and in Delhi, thousands of people living near the Yamuna riverbank have been relocated to safer places. On Wednesday, the water level of the Yamuna river in Delhi surpassed the danger mark due to the discharge of water from Hathnikund barrage in neighboring Haryana.
In response to the heavy rains across the country, the Indian Finance Ministry released approximately US$920 million to assist 22 states. This financial aid aims to support the affected states in recovering from the damages caused by the floods.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
