Particle.news
Download on the App Store
203 ARTICLES
·
2w ago

Kolkata Reels From Heaviest Rain in Decades as Electrocution Deaths Drive Utility Dispute

Relief and power restoration now lead the response, with forecasters warning of another low-pressure system that could bring more showers.

Image
Image
In the last 24 hours the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) rescued 320 people, including a newborn and its mother, in four districts.
Kolkata: A woman wades through the waterlogged street of south Kolkata due to heavy rainfall, in Kolkata on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)

Overview

  • The IMD logged roughly 251 mm of rain in 24 hours with a peak hour of 98 mm, clarifying the deluge did not meet the definition of a cloudburst.
  • Officials report at least 10 to 12 deaths, most from electrocution, after widespread flooding and power cuts in Kolkata and nearby districts.
  • Water has receded in many areas but several neighborhoods remain waterlogged, power and safe drinking water issues persist, and pumps and relief teams are deployed.
  • The West Bengal government closed schools early for the Durga Puja break and announced Rs 2 lakh for each victim’s family along with job offers to next of kin.
  • Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and power utility CESC publicly differ on responsibility for the electrocutions as the IMD tracks a fresh Bay of Bengal system that could bring more rain.