One person has been killed and another severely injured by a landslide that his a road in the Jhulaghat area of Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand, close to the border with Nepal, according to the Uttarakhand Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre. Authorities are still attempting to ascertain the identities of the victims of the incident, which happened on Sunday 4 August 2013. Uttarakhand and other areas of the Himalayas have been suffering the heaviest Monsoon rains in eighty years, triggering widespread flooding and numerous landslides, with more rains forecast over the coming days. 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.
The approximate location of the 4 August 2013 Jhulaghat landslide. Google Maps.
Utterkhand has suffered extensive flooding since the onset of the Monsoon Season in June, with around 800 confirmed deaths and over 4000 people still missing. Thousands of tourists and pilgrims were trapped by flash flooding towards the end of the month and are still being evacuated by the Indian Army using helicopters. Many bridges have been destroyed, whole villages swept away and towns inundated with water.
See also Six people killed by landslide in Nainital District, Uttarakhand, Seven killed by landslide in Uttarakhand, Two women killed in landslide in Darchula District, Nepal, Two killed in Nepal Landslide and Hundreds feared dead after collapse of Chorabari Glacier.
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