Five members of the same family, including three women, were injured when a house partially collapsed in a landslide at Haridwar in Uttarakhand Province, India, in the evening of Wednesday 28 August 2013. The incident comes following months of heavy rains, with over 50 mm falling in the last 24 hours across much of the province. Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall.
House in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, damaged by landslide on 28 August 2013. AFP.
The Himalayas have been suffering the heaviest Monsoon rains in eighty years, triggering widespread flooding and numerous landslides. Uttarakhand has suffered extensive flooding since the onset of the Monsoon Season in June, with around 800 confirmed deaths and over 4000 people still missing. The Mandakini, Alaknanda, Bhagirathi, Pindar, Ganga and several minor rivers are currently in flood in the state, many bridges have been destroyed, whole villages swept away and towns inundated with water.
The approximate location of the 28 August 2014 Haridwar landslide. Google Maps.
See also Elderly woman and granddaughter killed by landslide in Uttarakhand, One person killed by landslide in Uttarakhand, Six people killed by landslide in Nainital District, Uttarakhand, Seven killed by landslide in Uttarakhand and Two women killed in landslide in Darchula District, Nepal.
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