Monsoon mayhem: Rains claim 18 lives in Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP
As incessant rainfall continued to lash west and central India, as many as 18 people were killed in rain-related incidents in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. Even as a red alert was issued for several districts of Gujarat, six people died in lightning strikes there. While nine persons died in rain-related incidents in Maharashtra, three children were killed in lightning strikes in Madhya Pradesh.
As heavy rain lashed Gujarat over the past three days, six persons died in lightning strikes and several have been displaced. A red alert has been issued for Bharuch, Chhotaudepur, Narmada, Surat, Tapi, Dang, Navsari, and Valsad districts. The weather department has predicted heavy rains in Porbandar, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Kheda, Panchmahal, Dahod, Anand, and Vadodara. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel conducted an aerial survey.
As incessant showers continue to lash Maharashtra, the India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for five districts, including Kolhapur, Palghar, Nashik, Pune, and Ratnagiri. Also, an orange alert has been sounded for Mumbai. Meanwhile, rain-related incidents claimed nine lives in the state. Two persons were killed after a structure collapsed in a Mumbai suburb, while one person drowned in the Gadchiroli district.
At least 47 people have died due to lightning strikes in a week in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Tuesday. Three children were killed and four others injured after being struck by lightning in the Agar Malwa district. Heavy rainfall has thrown normal life out of gear in several parts of the state, particularly the state capital Bhopal and the Chhindwara district, since Sunday.
Meanwhile, parts of Delhi-NCR received light rain early on Wednesday morning. The weather department said that such short spells of rain will occur over the next two days. Rainfall in north India is predicted to increase from July 18 onward after the monsoon trough, which is currently toward the south of Delhi, shifts to the north, Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather said.
East Rajasthan and some other parts of the state have recorded light to moderate rains with Mount Abu and Pratapgarh recording a maximum of 8 cm of rainfall in a day. Meanwhile, at least 10 houses were damaged due to a landslide in Odisha's Gajapati district. Major roads in the Malkangiri and Kalahandi districts were also submerged and damaged because of the overnight rains.
