Intense rainfall across northern India claimed 31 lives on Sunday in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab. Among the victims were nine members of an extended family who were swept away when their car was submerged in a stream in Punjab. At least eight people remain missing across these states.
Rajasthan, particularly the cities of Jaipur and Bharatpur, was hit hardest by the monsoon’s wrath, resulting in 17 deaths and five missing persons.
In Bharatpur, seven young men tragically lost their lives while posing for social media reels near the Banganga River when the ground beneath them gave way. Additionally, three youths drowned in a rain-swollen pond in Jhunjhunu after becoming trapped in sludge. In Karauli district, which experienced severe flooding with a record 380mm of rainfall on Sunday, a man and his 10-year-old son, Jia, were killed when part of a neighbor’s house collapsed onto their own home.
Jodhpur reported five fatalities, including a 17-year-old who drowned in Koilana Lake during a trekking trip.
The heavy rains caused significant damage and disruption across Rajasthan. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma reviewed the situation and directed officials to provide immediate assistance to those affected.
In Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district, nine people lost their lives when their Innova SUV was swept away by a seasonal stream in Jaijon Doaba village, near the Himachal Pradesh border. Locals reported that the driver misjudged the stream’s depth after observing a bulldozer successfully cross it. A teenage boy was rescued, but two individuals are still missing. The victims were on their way to a wedding in Hoshiarpur from Himachal’s Una district.
“The strong currents swept the Innova away. Despite our efforts, including trying to use a rope and the bulldozer to reach them, the swift water made it impossible,” said Manoj Kumar Sharma, a local resident. “Five bodies were found caught in bushes about a kilometer away, and four more were later recovered.” Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal confirmed that NDRF teams are searching for the two missing persons.
In Himachal Pradesh, landslides and flash floods over the past two days have claimed the lives of three girls, with one person still missing. The disaster has led to the closure of over 280 roads, and officials reported disruptions to 458 power and 48 water supply schemes.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Jalaun district, a woman and her seven-year-old son died when their house’s roof collapsed in the Koch area due to heavy rainfall.
