With catastrophic floods hitting India, Germany, China and Pakistan, Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced the rescue of 30 Israelis and a large group of Europeans who were rescued Sunday in northern India in a joint Israeli-Indian operation.
Severe flooding in the area killed some 150 locals in northern India on Friday, following a two-hour cloudburst. The rescued groups were evacuated two days later to New Delhi. Another 120 Israeli tourists were expected to be evacuated from the flooded area on Monday. At least 370 people were injured, and at least 2,000 people are homeless, in the popular Himalayan tourist destination.
Nearby, neighboring Pakistan is suffering from the worst flooding in 80 years, with millions displaced and 1,500 dead. Landslides caused by the flooding, which itself was caused by unusually heavy monsoon rains, are hampering relief efforts.
Other countries are also suffering from flooding. At least 127 people are dead in China, with 2,000 others unaccounted for, following a rain-triggered landslide in Gansu province on Sunday morning. Four million homes are estimated to have been destroyed.
In Europe, on the German-Polish border, a dam on the Neisse River burst and unleashed a flood wave that engulfed parts of the cities of Zgorzelec and Goerlitz. Eleven residents are reported dead, and close to 1,500 people, including those living in two homes for the elderly, were evacuated via boats, buses and helicopters. Parts of the Czech Republic were also affected.
In the United States, flash floods hit the state of Iowa Sunday night, swamping roads and causing a campground evacuation. Over 10,000 customers were reported to be without power on Monday, including nearly 5,000 in Des Moines, Iowa, and strong winds damaged buildings and a grain bin.