At least 82 people have died after heavy rain triggered devastating floods across northeastern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan this week, with widespread damage to homes, farmland and infrastructure.

Heavy rain and flooding have caused widespread disruption across South Asia, even as parts of Europe continue to battle wildfires.

Flooding devastates northeastern India

At least 10 people have died in flooding in India's northeastern state of Assam over the past 24 hours, in what authorities described as "unprecedented devastation", bringing the week's death toll in the state to 36.

More than 650,000 people have been affected by heavy rainfall across 11 districts of Assam, the state's disaster management authority said in a bulletin on Wednesday.

The flooding was primarily caused by exceptionally heavy rainfall in neighbouring Nagaland between 18 July and 20 July, which led to unusually high river levels, according to a state government report.

Assam, home to the Brahmaputra, one of the world's largest rivers, experiences severe flooding almost every year during the monsoon season.

Flooding in Afghanistan and Pakistan kills at least 46

At least 46 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in flooding across Afghanistan's northeastern Nuristan province and Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to disaster management authorities in both countries.

The casualties were reported over the past 72 hours after heavy rain triggered widespread flooding across the two regions.

"The floods swept away houses and hotels. Everything is gone. It is complete devastation. Machinery is being used to rescue those who are still trapped," Mujib ur Rahman, a resident of Nuristan's provincial capital, said.

Climate change increases risks in vulnerable regions

Despite contributing little to global emissions, Afghanistan and Pakistan are among the countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Experts say increasingly intense floods, droughts, glacier melt and water shortages are placing millions of people at growing risk across the region.

Read more: 

• Afghanistan flash floods kill at least 23 as more than 100 remain missing
• Flash floods kill at least 10 in Indian-administered Kashmir and Jammu
• Monsoon floods kill dozens, strand over a million in Bangladesh

 

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India Assam floods pakistan floods Afghanistan floods South Asia floods