Heavy rains lash Punjab, three killed as houses coollapse

Chandigarh, Aug 13 (UNI) Normal life was thrown out of gear in Punjab following heavy monsoon showers with the holy city of Amritsar receiving over 200 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, the heaviest in several years.

Reports reaching here stated that three people were killed and as many injured following incidents of house collapse in Amritsar city and Tarn Taran district.

According to the Met office here, Amritsar received 205.4 mm rain till 0830 hrs this morning. However reports said the downpur continued all through the morning flooding several parts of the holy city and blocking sewers. Normal life was paralysed in the city with several schools shutting down for the day as vehicles including cars were stranded in many low lying flooded localities.

Even pilgrims to the Golden Temple had to move in two to three feet water near the City Kotwali area.

Reports said roofs of about 12-14 houses caved-in at different places in the city leading to the death of an aged woman and a child and injuries to three others.

The third death was reported in Tarn Taran district when a 40-year-old farmer was killed after the roof of a grain storage shed caved-in in Uboke village.

Meanwhile, reports said people residing in the low lying areas along the Ravi, Beas and Satjuj rivers in Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Kapurthala district were asked to move to safer areas as a precautionary measure. However official reports said all the three rivers were still flowing below the danger mark and there was no immediate danger of floods.

However, the rains have destroyed crops in the Chola Sahib and Khem Karan areas of Tarn Taran with fields being flooded due to the heavy downpour today.

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