Monsoon flooding death toll rises to 152 in South Asia

A one-horned rhinoceros walks in floodwaters in Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, east of Gauhati, India, Friday, July 19, 2019. The sanctuary has the highest density of the one-horned Rhinoceros in the world. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

GAUHATI, India  — Officials say the death toll has risen to 152 in monsoon flooding in South Asia as millions of people and animals continue to face the brunt in three countries.

At least 90 people have died in Nepal and 50 in India’s Assam state. A dozen people have been killed in neighboring Bangladesh.

Shiv Kumar, a government official in Assam, said Saturday that 10 rare one-horned rhinos have died at the Kaziranga National Park after swirling grey waters of the Brahmaputra River burst its banks and entered the reserve.

The Assam Disaster Response Authority says 4.8 million people spread over 3,700 villages across the northeastern state are affected by the floods.

Monsoon rains hit the region in June-September. The rains are crucial for rain-fed crops planted during the season.  /muf