Maharashtra: 10 dead, 18 people missing after breach in Ratnagiri dam

Mumbai, July 03: At least 10 bodies were recovered and over 18 people are said to be missing after the Tiware dam in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra was breached late on Tuesday night following a heavy downpour.

The dam breach caused a flood-like situation in seven downstream villages, with as many as 12 houses near the dam being swept away.

It is reported that at least 18 people in a hamlet close to the dam have not been located since the breach was first reported.

Two teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed for carrying out rescue and relief operations - one from Sindhudurg district and the other from Pune.

The local administration also has stepped in to help people in close vicinity of the dam. There are reports that several houses have been washed away by the gushing water from the breached dam.

Meanwhile, heavy showers in the state of Maharashtra has already led to at least 37 lives being lost.

Two separate incidents of walls collapsing were also reported from Pune alone - one on last Saturday and the other on Tuesday. A wall was also collapsed in Mumbai's Malad.

The India Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy showers to persist in Mumbai and in Maharashtra's Vidarbha and Marathwada regions. It has also asked people to avoid hilly areas in the state due to potential dangers from heavy rainfall.