More than a dozen dead in northern India from monsoon rains

Heavy flooding across districts near the Himalayan foothills leaves at least 15 people dead, as monsoon season continues throughout the Indian subcontinent.

Experts say the climate crisis is increasing the number of extreme weather events around the world. (AP)

At least 15 people have been killed in India after heavy monsoon rains triggered flash floods and landslides near the Himalayan foothills.

Rescue officials were rushed on Saturday to Mandi district in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh where a torrent of floodwater swept away two houses and killed eight people, a government statement said.

Landslides and flooding claimed seven other lives across the state, the release added.

Television news footage showed part of a railway bridge washed away by the deluge in nearby Kangra district. Schools were closed in the worst-affected districts.

In Hamipur district, flash floods stranded 19 people on the rooftops of local buildings before they were rescued by disaster response teams.

READ MORE: Several dead, missing after flash floods in northwest China

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Climate crisis

Of those dead, eight family members were buried alive on Saturday in Himachal Pradesh after their home collapsed due to heavy rain, Deputy Commissioner Arindam Chaudhary told Anadolu Agency.

"There were flash floods, landslides in multiple places due to heavy rains. So far, we have recovered 10 bodies. Around 3-5 people are still missing," Chaudhary said.

"A search and rescue operation is underway to find the missing people," he added.

Flooding and landslides are common and cause widespread devastation during India's treacherous monsoon season.

Last month, eight people died after flash floods triggered by a sudden downpour struck a camp for pilgrims in nearby Kashmir.

Heavy rains battered India's remote northeast in June, with nearly 40 killed in a landslide that swamped a camp housing railway workers and army reservists in Manipur state.

Experts say the climate crisis is increasing the number of extreme weather events around the world, with damming, deforestation and development projects in India exacerbating the human toll.

READ MORE: Families flee as 'frightening' floods hit New Zealand

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

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Strong quake shakes northern Philippines, damages buildings

MANILA, Philippines -- A strong earthquake shook the northern Philippines on Wednesday, injuring at least one person, damaging buildings and prompting many people in the capital to run outdoors.

The 7 magnitude quake was centered around Abra province in a mountainous area, said Renato Solidum, the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

“The ground shook like I was on a swing and the lights suddenly went out. We rushed out of the office, and I heard screams and some of my companions were in tears,” said Michael Brillantes, a safety officer of the Abra town of Lagangilang, near the epicenter.

“It was the most powerful quake I’ve felt and I thought the ground would open up,” Brillantes told The Associated Press by cellphone.

At least one elderly villager suffered a cut in her foot and was treated in a clinic, Brillantes said, adding many houses and building had cracked walls, including some which collapsed.

Authorities were checking if damage or landslides had occurred in mountainside villages in the northern fringes of Abra, a landlocked agricultural province.

The quake's strength was lowered from the initial 7.3 magnitude after further analysis. The quake was set off by movement in a local fault at a depth of 25 kilometers (15 miles), the institute said, adding it expected damage and more aftershocks.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake’s strength at 7.0 and depth at 10 kilometers (6 miles). Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage.

The Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur. It is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.

A magnitude 7.7 quake killed nearly 2,000 people in the northern Philippines in 1990.

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Powerful earthquake strikes northern Philippines, felt in capital

The US Geological Survey said the 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Abra province and was strongly felt in the capital Manila, with no casualties reported so far.

The quake was also felt strongly in Manila and the city's metro rail systems had been halted at rush hour after the quake, the transport ministry said. (TRTWorld)

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake has hit the northern Philippines, the US Geological Survey said, shattering windows of buildings at the epicentre and shaking high-rise towers more than 300 kilometres away in the capital Manila.

The quake was at a depth of 10 kilometres, USGS added.

USGS initially said the quake measured at 6.8 magnitude and the earthquake's epicentre was about 11 kilometres east-southeast of Dolores.

The quake was also felt strongly in Manila and the city's metro rail systems had been halted at rush hour after the quake, the transport ministry said.

The shallow quake struck Abra province on the main island of Luzon at 8:43 am and the local seismological agency warned damage was expected.

A hospital in Abra province evacuated after a partial collapse following the quake.

No casualties reported

In Dolores, which felt the full force of the quake, terrified people ran outside their buildings and windows of the local market were shattered, Police Major Edwin Sergio told AFP news agency.

"The quake was very strong," Sergio said, adding there were minor cracks in the police station building.

So far, no casualties or major damage have been reported.

Renato Solidum, director of the state seismology agency, told DZMM radio station, that the quake could have caused damage in Abra where Dolores is located, but did not see damage in Manila.

"In the capital region, it was not destructive. I think it does not have an effect on structures but good to inspect vital facilities like the MRT."

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

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