India: At least 22 killed in New Delhi flash floods as neighbouring Pakistan on alert

A deluge of rain caused catastrophic floods, killing at least 22 people, ITV News' Charlie Frost reports.

Heavy monsoon rains have battered the Indian capital and caused landslides and flash floods in the country's north, killing at least 22 people over the last three days.

The torrential rain over the weekend left parts of New Delhi overflowing with water that has submerged roads and stranded residents.

The northern hill states were the worst affected, with ten people killed in flash floods and landslides in parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand states, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

Meanwhile, one person died in New Delhi and four more were killed in the Indian-controlled section of Kashmir.

Landslides triggered by the rains disrupted traffic on key highways in Uttarakhand, a tourist hill state in the Himalayas, prompting warnings for residents not to venture out of their homes unless necessary.

Authorities used helicopters to rescue people, while bridges and houses were swept away in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.

India regularly witnesses severe flooding during the monsoon season, which runs between June and September, and brings most of South Asia’s annual rainfall.

Scientists say monsoons are becoming more erratic due to climate change and global warming, leading to frequent landslides and flash floods in India’s Himalayan north.

India’s weather agency said monsoon rains across the country have already brought about 2% more rainfall than normal, with more heavy rain is expected in the north in the coming days.

In neighbouring Pakistan, which has also been pelted by monsoon rains, authorities were on alert for the season's first flooding after India diverted waters from dams into the Ravi River, which flows from India into Pakistan.

Evacuations were underway from the lowlands in eastern Punjab province, according to Pakistan's disaster management agency.

More than 150 people were moved overnight from the villages in Narowal and Sialkot, officials said.

At least 76 people have died in Pakistan in weather-related incidents since June 25, as heavy rains impacted tens of thousands of people in the nation.

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