11 killed in rain havoc, Army deployed in Bhopal

Bhopal, Aug 14 (UNI) Army has been deployed in the state capital today to assist the civil administration due to a grim situation caused by overnight heavy rains, killing at least 11 people and disrupting normal life across Madhya Pradesh.

Army jawans were deployed in rescue and relief operations in the flooded lowlying areas. At least 11 people were killed when the walls of their houses collapsed and in other related incidents. Six bodies had been recovered and five apprehended drowned as they were washed away in rain water, Bhopal Collector S K Mishra said.

Several houses had collapsed as the city received record 30 cm rainfall overnight. Five people were killed when the walls of their houses collapsed in Bairagarh area and another in Rahul Nagar.

Agitated slum dwellers staged road blockade at many places protesting laxity of the administration in relief works and delay in cleaning the drains causing waterlogging.

Train traffic was disrupted as the engine of Rapti Sagar Express derailed last night near Midghat station in Bhopal division of West Central Railway and waterlogging of tracks near the state capital.

Many trains bound for south and western part were plying behind schedule.

Vehicular traffic from Bhopal to neighbouring areas remained paralysed as flood water was flowing over bridges and culverts on many rivers and rivulets. Vehicular traffic was suspended on many routes including on Bhopal-Indore, Bhopal-Hoshangabad and Indore-Nagpur roads.

After many years, 12 gates of Bhadbhada dam on the state capital's Upper Lake had been opened today due to heavy inflow and neighbouring districts alerted for possible flood. A boundary wall of the Raj Bhavan had collapsed.

In the state capital, many schools declared holiday as students and teachers could not reach due to heavy rains and disruption in traffic this morning.

At Hoshangabad, Narmada had crossed the danger mark. Few other rivers, including Parvati and Kalisindh, were in spate.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is constantly monitoring the situation, official sources said.

UNI Team-SP PR SSC1358