Monsoons in southern India have devastated the state of Kerala, with 120,000 people forced to leave their homes. The seasonal floods are essential for water replenishment, but kill hundreds every year.
At least 100 people have been confirmed dead after monsoon rains devastated southern India, with Kerala and Karnataka states particularly hard hit.
Around 120,000 people were moved into hundreds of emergency relief camps in Kerala, a police spokesperson said, with another 161,000 filling camps in Karnataka, AFP reported. The government also ordered food be airlifted to stranded villages.
"There are around 80 places where flood and rains have triggered mudslides, which we cannot reach," Police spokesperson Pramod Kumar told AFP, adding that 200 people were stranded in one place.
Authorities closed Kerala's Cochin International Airport on Friday.
The rains also caused 20 landslides across the state. Authorities fear a number of people are trapped under the mud.
Water may seem benign, but in huge quantities it can be an enormously destructive force.
When floods occur, they bring with them numerous problems,
ranging from the physical impact of water damage to the problems of disease,
and famine that can follow such disasters.
The causes of flooding are varied, but the effects of most causes can be managed if not prevented.