‘Never seen rain like this’: Mamata Banerjee after 7 dead in Kolkata downpour
The heavy rainfall left Kolkata paralysed on Tuesday, resulting in at least seven deaths from electrocution.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday described the overnight downpour in Kolkata as "unprecedented"and urged the public to stay indoors, PTI reported.
The heavy rainfall left Kolkata paralysed on Tuesday, resulting in at least seven deaths from electrocution and bringing city life to a standstill. Several areas were flooded, transport services were disrupted, and traffic was thrown into chaos. Follow Kolkata rain LIVE updates here.
“I have never seen rain like this. I feel so bad for the people who have lost their lives in the cloudburst. I heard 7–8 people have died due to electrocution by open or unattended wires. It is so unfortunate…” Mamata Banerjee told a Bengali news channel, according to PTI.
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She added that the families of the deceased must be given jobs by the power utility CESC. "I am saying this clearly. We will also do whatever is possible to help," the chief minister said.
Heavy rainfall in Kolkata
The overnight heavy rain in Kolkata lasted around seven hours, causing flooding and disrupting traffic, train, and metro services. The rainstorm prompted authorities to close some schools in the city, as more rain was expected ahead of Durga Puja, West Bengal’s biggest carnival, as reported by HT.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a low-pressure area over the northeast Bay of Bengal was likely to bring heavy rain to south Bengal, including Purba and Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Jhargram, and Bankura districts until Wednesday.
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The intensity of rain was higher in Kolkata’s southern and eastern parts. Garia Kamdahari recorded 332 mm of rain in a few hours, Jodhpur Park 285 mm, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) said. Kalighat recorded 280 mm of rain, Topsia 275 mm, and Ballygunge 264 mm. Thantania (north Kolkata) received 195 mm of rain.
Operations at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport were also severely affected by the adverse weather on Tuesday. According to a Kolkata Airport official cited by ANI, at least 30 flights were cancelled and 42 others were delayed.
