Rains toll in K'tata, Kerala, AP and M'shtra at 132

New Delhi, June 24: Rains left a trail of destruction in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, claiming 99 lives and displacing more than 3 lakh people as the weatherman today warned of heavy downpours lashing Mumbai.

With a landslide in Mumbai caused by heavy rains today claiming two lives, the toll in Maharashtra went up to 33.

Six more deaths have been reported in Karnataka in rain-related incidents since last night, taking the toll to 39. This included a 70 year-old-woman, who died in a wall collapse in Bellary and another person was washed away in Bijapur.

The condition in the northern plains of Bijapur, Gulbarga and Raichur improved with abatement of rains to some extent, but a number of small rivers, overflowing in these districts and Udupi, inundated scores of villages, affecting normal life in Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Bijapur, Gulbarga and Raichur.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy instructed the officials to ensure immediate relief to the people affected by heavy rains.

Also, search operations were on to trace the crew member of the South African cargo ship, which ran aground and capsized in the turbulent tides near Tannirbavi coast yesterday.

In Andhra Pradesh, 37 people have been killed and more than three lakh people badly affected due to incessant rains in the last three days.

In all, 222 villages and 49 mandals were affected and 9,700 houses were badly damaged.

The total number of irrigation tanks damaged in Kurnool district was 38, Prakasham 113, Guntur 22, Kadapa 16, Mahaboob Nagar 19, Vizianagaram 7, Nalgonda 26 and four tanks in Srikakulam. The restoration works were under way.

The inflow of water in irrigation projects had increased at an unprecedented levels. The inflow of water in Srisailam dam was 1.13 lakh cusecs, 1.27 lakh cusecs in Kundu at Rajoli anaicut, 1.49 lakh cusecs in Thungabadra, 0.21 lakh cusecs in Handri, 0.87 lakh cusecs in Jurala and Somaseela reservoir was receiving 1.13 lakh cusecs.

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy conducted an aerial survey of badly affected villages in Kurnool district and announced compensation for the victims.

A landslide due to incessant rains hit Omkar Nagar and Vashi Naka in eastern suburbs of Mumbai today, claiming two lives and injuring three.

Deceased Machhindra Waman Salve died on the spot, while Rahul Subhash Waghmare succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. The landslide occurred at 1020 hrs.

The injured were admitted to Satabdi Hospital, the sources added.

The death toll has risen to four due to rains since last night which lashed the commercial capital of the country.

Two people, including a woman, were killed and two others injured when a dilapidated three-storeyed building collapsed at Grant Road late last night due to heavy rains in the megapolis since last evening.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Pathak took rounds to take stock of the situation. He told UNI that some parts of the city were below sea level due to which it was difficult to connect storm water system to sea.

The met department officials said heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by strong winds, was likely to hit the city and its suburbs in the next 24 hours.

Normal life in the metropolis was disrupted following heavy rains today. Many low-lying suburbs in the city, including Malad, Kandivali, Ghatkopar, Kurla and Chembur, have been flooded with rain water.

The suburban train services on both Central and Harbour lines were affected due to water-logging on the tracks.

''Trains on Central and Harbour line are running almost half an hour late due to the water-logging,'' a Central Railway official said.

Train services on the Western line, were also running late by at least ten minutes.

Colaba in south Mumbai has recorded 279 mm of rain, while Santa Cruz recorded 209 mm of rain in the past 24 hours.

Several areas of Vidarbha region and Kolhapur city and the district in Maharashtra received intermittent rains during the last 24 hours, but no loss of life or property was reported.

Four people, including a woman, were killed in Nashik in rain-related incidents in the past 24 hours, taking the toll to 28 since the monsoon began on June 1.

Heavy rains, accompanied by strong winds, lashed the city and adjoining areas yesterday, disrupting power supply in many parts of the region.

Heavy rains continued to lash many parts of Marathwada in the past 24 hours. A farmer, died in the district after he was struck by lightning in Degloor tehsil yesterday.

The hot and humid weather prevailing over Delhi over the past two days continued with the mercury rising to 37.7 degrees Celsius.

Despite Easterlies providing some coolness in the air, the heat and humidity kept most Delhiites indoors during the day even as the rains continued to elude the city, after a series of spells of pre-monsoon rains last weekend.

Rain occurred in most places in Kerala and at a few places in Lakshadweep.

Kasaragod recorded the highest rainfall of 10 cm followed by Kannur seven, local weather office here said.

UNI

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