The Hindu : National : Eight persons killed as rain lashes Kolkata

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 04, 2007
ePaper

National

National

Eight persons killed as rain lashes Kolkata

Special Correspondent

Public transport hit, educational institutions closed, large parts of the city submerged, many stranded

— Photo: Sushanta Patronobish

DELUGE: A hand-drawn rickshaw resembles a boat in Kolkata on Tuesday, as the city has been flooded in the Monday night’s torrential rain.

KOLKATA: Torrential rain from Monday night to early Tuesday lashed Kolkata and surrounding areas, claiming eight lives and disrupting normal life.

Large parts of the city were submerged and many stranded on roads.

Train services were affected and the public transport system was badly hit. Trams did not ply.

Boats were requisitioned in some low-lying areas to ferry people to safer places. Hand-pulled rickshaws,however, did brisk business.

Educational institutions were closed and attendance in many offices, including the State Secretariat, was low.

The local meteorological office has forecast rain for the next 48 hours due to a low pressure formation in the Bay of Bengal.

Six of family killed

Six of a family were killed in a wall collapse in Bishnupur, South 24 Parganas district. One person was killed in a similar incident here, while another was electrocuted in North 24 Parganas district.

In the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Opposition councillors demonstrated outside the office of Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharjee in protest against the alleged failure of the civic authorities to ensure speedy pumping of water.

They also sought his resignation.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who discussed the situation with the Mayor, said steps were being taken to flush out water. The district authorities have been instructed to ensure quick dispatch of relief material to the affected areas.

The wheels of an Air Deccan flight, bound for Raipur and Delhi, got stuck in the soft mud near the tarmac when it was preparing to take off here in the morning.

However, sources said the incident had nothing to do with the weather. Consequently, the main runway was blocked for about 25 minutes till the aircraft was towed to the bay for repairs.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National