Foreign Ministry: 30 Israelis taken from Ladakh to New Delhi.
By RON FRIEDMANIndia floods 311(photo credit: AP Photo/Channi Anand)
The Foreign Ministry’s Situation Room announced on Sunday evening that 30 Israeli tourists who had been stranded in the northern Indian district of Ladakh as a result of severe flooding were evacuated to New Delhi. The ministry also reported that 120 additional Israelis were expected to be evacuated on Monday.The Israel Tour Agency Association said it had received requests for assistance in booking flights out of the flood-ravaged area by hundreds of Israeli travelers, and that it was using its contacts in India to locate and assist these people.RELATED:Flooding in Asia affects millions; hundreds deadAbout 2,000 tourists of all nationalities were in the area, a popular destination for adventure sports enthusiasts, when the storm hit, burying homes and toppling power and telecommunication towers.On Sunday, the Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning requesting that people avoid unnecessary travel to India’s North.According to Indian daily The Hindu, the flash floods have been responsible for the deaths of 145 people and the destruction of hundreds of buildings. Some 500 people have yet to be accounted for.The floods were caused by a cloudburst that lasted for less than two hours.
