35 dead as storm, rains play havoc in Rajasthan

Unprecedented rainfall and heavy dust storm created havoc late on Wednesday night claimed 35 lives in Bharatpur and in Alwar district of Rajasthan. At least 100 people were injured in the dust storm and rainfall in these two districts. Many villages were under the dark and power supply was not be restored till Thursday.

Total 35 people dead so far including 17 people in Bharatpur, 9 in Dholpur, 9 in Alwar, 205 people injured.

In Karauli, the wall of a building collapsed, injuring two women and three children. They were rushed to Hindaun City's government hospital.

More than two-dozen people were injured after a thatched house collapsed, power poles and trees were uprooted in the two districts as high-intensity squall struck the Matsya region comprising Bharatpur, Dholpur, Alwar and Dausa region, police said.

A detailed report of mishaps is awaited even as teams were pressed into service to rescue trapped people from damaged houses. The injured have been admitted to government hospitals.

A sudden change in the weather was witnessed in the New Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) too. Heavy rains also lashed parts of the city, bringing down the maximum temperature to 28 degrees Celsius.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted that monsoon is likely to be normal this year. A private weather forecasting agency Skymet mentioned that these pre-Monsoon activities are triggered on account of activation of heat-low which is seen over parts of Rajasthan and Haryana that happens due to the passage of an active Western Disturbance.

The weather report also stated that dust storm and thundershower activities are also expected over Punjab, Haryana, North Rajasthan and West Uttar Pradesh.