At least 25 people have died and more than 2,000 have been evacuated after days of heavy rainfall brought flash floods and landslides in the state of Kerala in southern India, sweeping away houses, cars and bridges.
The Indian army, navy and air force spent the weekend scouring affected districts for survivors, while devastated residents told local news outlets that entire communities had been ravaged by the deluge.
“The house has gone. Children have gone,” one woman told Kerala news channel, Manorama TV.
"It was my livelihood. Everything is gone,” a man told the network.
In Kottayam, local news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that a family of six — including a 75-year-old grandmother and three children — were killed after their home was destroyed by the floods.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered "condolences to the bereaved families.”
On social media, photos and videos of the destruction circulated widely.
In one video, shared by Asian News International, a house is swept away entirely from view by fast-moving waters as onlookers scream in the background.
India’s meteorological department said the deadly rainfall was a result of a low pressure area over the southeastern Arabian sea and Kerala, CNN reported. The wet weather is forecast to continue for at least three more days.
The flooding in India comes as people around the world continue to grapple with extreme weather amid the climate crisis and as political leaders come under increasing pressure to take action.
This summer, deadly floods affected millions of people across the world including China, Europe and the United States — hazardous weather conditions that scientists warn should serve as a wake-up call that urgent steps need to be taken to protect the planet and younger generations from the effects of climate change.
In August, a panel from the United Nations concluded in its review of climate science that the extreme weather tormenting the planet will only worsen as a result of global warming.
Taniya Dutta in Delhi contributed to this report.
Read more: