India: Floods - Oct 1988

Continuous torrential rains in the hills since 21 September caused heavy floods in northwestern India. Vast areas in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Delhi were inundated causing widespread loss of life, damage to crops/property, and paralysing surface and air traffic. The media reported that the death toll reached 174 in four affected states. In Haryana, Yamuna river has flooded 25 villages in Jagadhri subdivision. In Delhi, the river Yamuna was flowing well above the danger mark and has flooded a number of colonies and transportation networks close to the river from where more than 16,000 people were evacuated to temporary camps. (UN DHA, 4 Oct 1988)