Devastating floods displace thousands in western India as cyclone looms

AHMEDABAD: Heavy rains battered India and Pakistan’s coastal areas along the Arabian Sea, flooding cities in western India’s Gujarat state and forcing thousands of people from their homes, with authorities predicting a cyclonic storm to develop by Friday (August 30).

Ukraine F-16 crashes, pilot dies repelling Russian strike

People could be seen on Thursday (August 29) waded through waist-high waters that partly submerged vehicles and roads in parts of the state.

Rescue operations were underway carrying people on inflatable boats to get them to shelters and distributing bottled water and food to locals stranded in flooded neighbourhoods.

At least 28 people have died this week from rain-related incidents in the state, officials said, as meteorologists in India and neighbouring Pakistan warned that more heavy downpours and strong winds were expected to lash the coast.

More than 18,000 have been evacuated since Sunday from cities near the coast, disaster management authorities said.

US “stands with” Pakistan against terrorism: Pentagon

A deep depression off Gujarat is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm by Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, but it was forecast to move away from the Indian coast over the next two days.