DEHRADUN, India – Torrential monsoon rains across northern India have killed more than a dozen people, but for one man caught in the flooding, clinging to a utility pole became his lifeline to survival.
The India Meteorological Department reported that more than half a foot of rain fell over the past week, causing rivers to swell beyond their banks and forcing hundreds of people from their homes.
In several communities, entire structures were washed away as residents sought refuge in evacuation centers set up by local authorities.
Video recorded along the Tons River showed a man who survived the flooding by clinging to a utility pole, surrounded by feet-deep water.
Members of the National Disaster Response Force reached the man only after deploying a rope line across the river, eventually pulling him back to higher ground.
The man appeared to be in good spirits despite his multi-hour ordeal.
(Anmol Khattri via Storyful / FOX Weather)
“We were there when the cloudburst hit, and the river swelled up, trapping a man. The villagers tried to help, but the current was too strong. Thankfully, the NDRF team stepped in and saved him after four hours,” a local resident told Storyful, a social media content gathering company.
Local authorities said more than a dozen people had been killed by the flooding and associated landslides, warning that the death toll was likely to increase with many still missing.
Photos showed search teams combing through villages, in search for potential victims.
According to NOAA, the Indian summer monsoon typically lasts from June through September, with some cities receiving more than 90% of their annual precipitation during this period.
The heavy rounds of precipitation are considered to be important for agriculture but often result in deadly natural disasters such as flash flooding and landslides.
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Damaged buildings are pictured along the swollen Tamsa river after a cloudburst following heavy rains in the Sahastradhara region of Dehradun, in India’s Uttarakhand state on September 16, 2025.
(Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)) -
GOLAGHAT, ASSAM, INDIA – SEPTEMBER 18: Commuters wade through floodwaters in in a village as heavy rains submerge villages and disrupt daily life, in Golaghat district of Assam, India, on September 18, 2025. (Photo by David Talukdar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(David Talukdar/Anadolu via Getty Images) -
GOLAGHAT, ASSAM, INDIA – SEPTEMBER 18: An aerial view shows a village submerged in floodwaters after heavy rains and disrupt daily life, in Golaghat district of Assam, India, on September 18, 2025.
(Photo by David Talukdar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
A relief team with the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia reported deploying mosquito nets, sanitary wipes and food supplies to some of the hardest-hit villages.
Upticks in mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and malaria are feared in the aftermath of the flooding, with stagnant water creating breeding grounds for insects.
“I’ve lost my house and all of my belongings, but AMDA came to help us like family,” one villager reportedly told the team. “Your relief supplies really encouraged us to move on.” Meanwhile, children were seen happily receiving biscuits, a small gesture that brought smiles to their faces after days of hardship.
The United Nations, AMDA and the Indian Red Cross Society said they continue to closely monitor the situation and remain prepared to deploy additional resources if local conditions worsen.
