Foreign Ministry: We’ve reached all Israelis who were missing due to India flooding
With help of helicopter, officials establish contact with last of the Israeli tourists put out of reach by monsoon rains
The Foreign Ministry on Saturday announced it has successfully established contact with all Israelis in India who were missing after devastating flooding from monsoon rains killed more than 100 hundred people in the country.
According to a ministry statement, officials reached the last of the Israelis with the assistance of a helicopter rented by the embassy, flying between popular hiking destinations in northern India. In an update Friday, the ministry reported 38 Israelis were still out contact, of the 500 initially reported missing.
“I want to thank all the dedicated people at the Foreign Ministry who worked night and day to reach all the Israelis on the ground,” Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said.
There have been no signs that any Israelis were hurt in the deadly flooding from the torrential rains, which has closed schools, submerged roads and swept away houses and bridges.
India’s weather agency has forecast more heavy rains in northern parts in the coming days. It said monsoon rains across the country have already brought about 2% more rainfall than normal.
India regularly witnesses severe floods during the monsoon season, which runs between June and September and brings most of South Asia’s annual rainfall. The rains are crucial for rain-fed crops planted during the season but often cause extensive damage.
Scientists say monsoons are becoming more erratic because of climate change and global warming, leading to frequent landslides and flash floods in India’s Himalayan north.
