People walk across a mud covered road in Nawalapitiya, Sri Lanka.
Floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains have killed more than 100 people across India since July, official data showed on Aug. 5, with thousands forced to flee their inundated homes.
While the annual monsoon brings rainfall that farmers depend on, scientists say climate change is making the phenomenon more erratic, unpredictable and deadly across the South Asia region.
India’s northeastern state of Assam is among the hardest hit by the annual rains, with at least 87 people killed, according to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
In the state’s worst-affected Sivasagar district, some 47 people have been killed as several areas remain under water.
State authorities have appealed for financial donations from the public to support relief and rehabilitation efforts.
“The devastation here is unlike anything these areas have witnessed before,” Sarma posted on X.
“Material losses can be restored, but no compensation can replace a loved one.”
Monsoon-related disasters are an annual occurrence across India after the region’s long summers when many parts of the country face water scarcity and drought.
Neighboring Sri Lanka has also seen unusually heavy monsoon rains that have caused flash floods and mudslides, claiming the lives of at least eight people since Aug. 3, according to the Disaster Management Center.
