New Delhi: Torrential monsoon rains continue to batter several parts of India, triggering floods, landslides and infrastructure damage across multiple states. Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Assam are among the worst-affected regions, where swollen rivers, collapsing buildings and disrupted transport have severely impacted daily life.

Floodwaters Reach Villages and Schools in Uttar Pradesh

In Uttar Pradesh, relentless rainfall has caused major rivers, including the Ganga and Saryu, to swell beyond safe levels. In Farrukhabad district, floodwaters have entered 33 villages and submerged the premises of 40 government schools, disrupting educational activities and affecting thousands of residents.

In Ballia, continuous erosion by the Saryu River has destroyed 27 houses within a week, forcing several families to evacuate and seek shelter in safer locations. Local authorities have launched relief and rehabilitation measures for the affected residents.

Meanwhile, in Varanasi, the rising water level of the Ganga has inundated nearly 40 to 50 small temples located along the riverbanks. Several ghats remain partially submerged, prompting officials to advise pilgrims and tourists to stay away from the flooded areas.

Six Killed After Century-Old House Collapses

A tragic incident was reported from Pratapgarh, where a 100-year-old house collapsed following continuous rainfall. The building came crashing down on members of a single family, claiming the lives of six people.

Rescue teams worked for several hours to remove debris and recover the victims. District officials have initiated relief measures and announced assistance for the affected family.

Heavy Rain Disrupts Uttarakhand

In Uttarakhand, overnight rainfall has triggered multiple landslides and road blockages across the hill districts. As a precautionary measure, authorities have ordered the closure of all schools up to Class 12, including Anganwadi centres, in Dehradun, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Pauri Garhwal.

A major landslide near Tilwara in Rudraprayag brought mud, rocks and rainwater onto the Kedarnath Highway, trapping several vehicles under debris and disrupting traffic on the pilgrimage route. Emergency teams are working to clear the highway and restore connectivity.

Another landslide near Helang in Chamoli has blocked the Badrinath National Highway, leaving travellers stranded as road clearance operations continue.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast more heavy rainfall across several districts of Uttarakhand, prompting disaster management authorities to remain on high alert.

Assam Flood Situation Remains Critical

Flood conditions in Assam continue to be severe despite ongoing rescue and relief operations. Over the past 24 hours, six more people lost their lives, taking the death toll during this monsoon season to 95.

The Dhansiri River is flowing above the danger mark, leading authorities to issue a high alert in 14 districts. According to official estimates, more than 1.6 lakh people across 563 villages remain affected by floodwaters.

Relief camps have been set up to provide food, drinking water and temporary shelter to displaced families, while rescue teams continue evacuation efforts in severely flooded areas using boats and emergency equipment.

Authorities Continue Rescue and Relief Operations

State governments and disaster response agencies are monitoring the evolving situation closely. Restoration work is underway to reopen blocked highways, repair damaged infrastructure and ensure the supply of essential services in affected regions.

Officials have urged residents living in vulnerable areas to remain alert, avoid flooded riverbanks and strictly follow advisories issued by local administrations and weather agencies.

The survivor, identified as Hernán Gil, was rescued after emergency personnel detected signs of life beneath nearly 140 tonnes of concrete and debris. Officials described the operation as one of the most technically challenging rescue missions carried out since the earthquakes devastated parts of the country. According to rescue workers, Gil had remained trapped inside the ruins for more than a week before his faint cries for help were heard during a search operation on Sunday. Allan Madrigal, a paramedic with the Costa Rican Red Cross, said he initially believed he had imagined the sound and asked a fellow rescuer to confirm it before teams launched an intensive effort to reach the trapped man.

Gil, who worked as a security guard, was on duty inside a small reinforced concrete security booth in the basement parking area near the Galerias Playa Grande shopping mall in Catia La Mar when the earthquakes struck. Rescue officials believe the concrete structure shielded him from the collapsing debris and played a crucial role in his survival. Medical teams supplied Gil with water and intravenous fluids while rescue personnel carefully removed debris to prevent further collapse. Emergency responders from Venezuela were joined by specialists from Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Portugal and the United States during the complex rescue operation.

Rescuers established visual contact with Gil after inserting a small camera through a narrow opening in the rubble. They later provided him with a protective face mask and safety goggles to minimise dust exposure while excavation work continued. Marco Antonio Franco of the Mexican Red Cross said Gil remained calm throughout the rescue effort and regularly communicated with emergency personnel. According to rescuers, he even requested specific flavours of hydration drinks while waiting to be freed.

A Chilean firefighter involved in the mission described the operation as the most technically demanding rescue he had ever participated in, citing the unstable debris and confined working conditions. Meanwhile, authorities said the death toll from the twin earthquakes has climbed to nearly 2,300. Thousands of people are still reported missing, while rescue and recovery teams continue searching damaged buildings in the hope of finding more survivors. Emergency response agencies remain deployed across the affected regions as humanitarian assistance and relief operations continue. Officials have said search efforts will continue despite increasingly difficult conditions at several collapsed structures.

Meteorological department warns of thunder, heavy winds across state; Korba tree-fall kills three, Raipur likely to see 41°C daytime high

Relief from the recent heatwave was short-lived as the State Meteorological Department on Sunday forecast thunder, lightning, heavy winds and localized rain over the next five days, with gusts likely reaching 50–60 kilometres per hour in parts of the state. The warning comes a day after a sudden storm in Korba’s Pali police station area caused a fatal tree collapse that killed three youths.

What happened in Korba
Saturday evening’s storm struck without much lead time, sending people rushing for cover. According to local police and hospital sources, three young men who took shelter under a large roadside tree in Pali were fatally injured when a heavy branch snapped and fell on them. Initial reports say the men were pronounced dead at the scene; their identities are being verified and an inquest has been ordered, officials said.

Other local impacts
Across the state, showers and gusty winds were reported in Raipur, Sarguja and Pendra. In Pendra, authorities reported that strong winds tore off a tin shed and uprooted at least one tree. No casualties were reported from those incidents. Meteorological data for the past 24 hours showed Durg recorded the highest daytime temperature at 42.6°C, while Pendra Road logged a minimum of 24.2°C.

What the forecast says
The meteorological department issued a fresh advisory early Sunday, warning of thunder, lightning, heavy winds and isolated heavy rainfall over various districts through the coming five days. Officials said two trough systems — one extending from central Pakistan to the Andhra coast and another active in the upper levels from the Bay of Bengal to the Lakshadweep region — are pumping moisture into the region and destabilising the atmosphere.

“Due to these systems, we expect convective activity across Chhattisgarh. Wind gusts of 50–60 km/h are possible at isolated places, along with lightning and scattered heavy showers,” a state meteorological official told reporters. The forecast specifically named Raipur, Durg, Korba, Sarguja and adjacent districts as areas likely to be affected.

Local advisory and safety tips
State authorities urged people to avoid standing under trees, stay away from power poles and open fields during storms, and secure loose objects that can be blown away by strong winds. The department also advised farmers to protect standing crops and fishermen to avoid venturing into seas or large reservoirs until advisories are lifted.

Raipur outlook
For the state capital, forecasters expect the sky to remain partly to mostly cloudy on Sunday with chances of thunder, dust squalls or brief heavy rain during the day. Raipur’s daytime temperature is likely to hover around 41°C, with a minimum near 28°C, offering modest relief from the more extreme highs recorded earlier in the week.

Wider context
Weather officials said daytime temperatures across the state have already fallen by 2–3 degrees Celsius in the last 24 hours, and another 2–3 degree drop is possible over the next two days as convective activity continues. However, they cautioned that the accompanying winds and lightning will pose hazards, especially where infrastructure is vulnerable.

Ground reaction
Residents in low-lying and open areas reported sudden changes in wind direction and rapid cloud build-up on Saturday evening. “The sky darkened within minutes and the wind hit so hard that sheets of the temporary market stalls started flapping,” said one trader in Pendra, who declined to be named. Local civic bodies said they are on alert and monitoring vulnerable trees and electricity lines.

What’s next
Authorities said district administrations have been asked to keep disaster response teams on standby and to coordinate with power and road departments for quick restoration work if needed. The meteorological department will review the situation daily and issue updates; people are being asked to follow local alerts and exercise caution during outdoor activities.