Heavy rains claim 8 lives in West Bengal

Kolkata, July 3: Altogether eight people, including four children were killed as heavy rains lashed Kolkata and its adjoining districts this morning submerging many areas and disrupting normal life.

The incessant rain that started early in the morning deluged most parts of Kolkata, flooding streets and entering many houses in the low-lying areas.

The Inspector General of Police ( Law and Order) Raj Kanojia said six people, including four children of a family were killed when the wall of a house collapsed at Nahajani village under Vishnupur police station in South 24 Parganas district.

The victims were asleep as the wall crumbled after rain water seeped through the whole structure.

In a similar incident one person died and three were injured at Entally in Central Kolkata while one person was electrocuted by a live wire, snapped by the gusty winds at Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district.

According to official sources, a total rainfall of 124.9 mm had been recorded in two hours till 0600 hours.

While long distance and suburban train services were disrupted, movement of trains in the city's underground metro system was also affected. Several flights from NSCB International airport, were also delayed due to the inclement weather.

Large areas of the city were submerged, the roads remaining under knee to waist deep water in many areas.

While North and Central Kolkata were worst-hit by the rains, several localities in the South and the IT hub at Salt Lake Sector-V experienced heavy water logging.

Weather office said the rain was likely to continue for the next 24 hours.

UNI