Rain fury claims 74 lives across India

HAVOC Northeastern states account for maximum deaths, with at least 50 killed because of drowning, landslides in Assam

NEW DELHI: Heavy rains have killed 74 people, including 70 from the Northeast, and displaced thousands in the past 15 days.

The weather department has predicted an increase in the intensity of rains in the coming days, with the monsoon moving towards north-west India.

The monsoon has so far covered Maharashtra and Gujarat and parts of southern Rajasthan and western Madhya Pradesh, apart from the Northeast.

Heavy rains lashed suburban Mumbai, leading to waterlogging and traffic jams.

In Rajasthan, a sub-divisional magistrate and his vehicle were washed away by a sudden current in a river. His body is yet to be recovered.

At least 50 people died in flood-related incidents of drowning, landslides and electrocution in Assam till Thursday.

In Madhya Pradesh, many areas in Rewa and Satna districts were submerged because of heavy rainfall and the authorities have relocated hundreds to safer places.

According to SK Dey, meteorologist at India Meteorological department (IMD), Bhopal, an alert has been issued in many areas of western MP such as Indore, Ratlam, Agar Malwa, Jhabua, Alirajpur, Ujjain and Barwani for the next 24 hours.

The state government has deferred local body elections in Dhar and Barwani, where houses of 15,000 people will be submerged because of release of additional water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam because of rains.

Weather department officials said the rains were good for second round of sowing and would mean higher agricultural output this year.