200 Indian students marooned in Houston floods

Two hundred Indian students of the University of Houston have been marooned in floods in the wake of tropical storm Harvey causing heavy rains and flooding in America's fourth largest city. Two Indian students are in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday.

"@CGHoust has informed me that 200 Indian students at University of Houston are marooned. They are surrounded by neck deep water," Sushma Swaraj tweeted.

"We made efforts for delivery of food but US Coast Guard did not allow as boats were required for rescue operations," she said.

Stating that Indian Consul General in Houston Anupam Ray was organising the rescue operations, Sushma Swaraj said in a separate tweet: "Indian students Shalini and Nikhil Bhatia are in ICU. We are ensuring that their relatives reach there at the earliest."

According to a media report, at least two people have been killed as the Houston area continues to be inundated by torrential rain and catastrophic flooding from Harvey, which officials called an "unprecedented" weather event that has left thousands of homes flooded, stranding people and overwhelming rescue workers.

--IANS

ab/rn