Floods in India kill at least 28 people, thousands evacuated

At least 28 people have been killed and more than 24,000 displaced in the state of Gujarat in western India since Sunday after heavy rains led to massive flooding, UNN reports citing the BBC.

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At the same time, according to the Indian Express, about 35 people have died in rain-related incidents in Gujarat. 

According to officials, several rivers and reservoirs have burst their banks as water levels have exceeded the danger mark.

The Indian army and national disaster response teams are conducting rescue operations in the most affected areas.

The state is on high alert as the meteorological department predicts continued heavy rains over the next few days.

The photos show flooded streets and rivers that have burst their banks. In some places, people who were stranded had to be rescued by helicopter.

Transportation services were disrupted in several areas, and up to 48 trains were canceled in the state on Wednesday.

Villages and towns in the Saurashtra region were the hardest hit, as they experienced continuous rain for almost 48 hours.

Several farmers told the BBC that the downpour caused significant damage to crops such as cotton and peanuts.

Meteorological officials expect the heavy rains to begin to taper off by September 1, as a deep depression in the Arabian Sea shifts toward Pakistan.

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Gujarat regularly experiences severe flooding during the monsoon season - in 2017, more than 200 people died in floods caused by incessant rain.

According to a government report, many areas of Gujarat are vulnerable to flooding because large rivers "pass through a wide stretch of very flat terrain before reaching the sea.