India's monsoon rains flood Yamuna river in Delhi, forcing thousands to evacuate and grinding life to a halt

New Delhi — Authorities in India's capital region evacuated thousands of people and ordered all schools and colleges to remain closed until Sunday as a major river running right through Delhi spilled over its banks late Wednesday, flooding homes and major roads. People were urged to stay inside and work from home if possible as the flooding threatened to inundate more of the city, which is home to some 30 million people.

Many rivers across northern India have been swollen over the last week by record monsoon rains hitting the region. The states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh have all seen widespread destruction and, as of Thursday, almost 100 deaths were blamed on house collapses, landslides and flash floods unleashed by the monsoon.

Some parts of the Delhi subway system, which is used by 2.5 million people every day, were also shut down, putting more pressure on the waterlogged roads which quickly became choked with massive traffic jams. Several key roads were completely flooded.