Assam floods claim 3 more lives, over 1.5 mn affected
Rains lash several parts of the country; lightning kills seven in Gujarat
NEW DELHI: The flood situation in Assam improved marginally but remained serious with three more deaths on Tuesday taking the toll to 25, even as rains lashed several parts of the country and lightning killed seven in Gujarat. The weather in north India was predominantly sultry, whereas monsoon rains occurred in several areas in the western, central, eastern and northeastern regions, including Gujarat's Saurashtra where seven persons were killed in separate incidents of lightning strike. According to an official bulletin in Assam, flood water receded from two districts – Udalguri and Kamrup (Metro) –out of a total 25 affected.
The flooding has submerged over 1.5 lakh people and claimed 25 lives, of whom three died on Tuesday -- two in Barpeta district and one in Dibrugarh.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority said the flood situation remained serious in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Chirang, Darrang, Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, South Salmara, Goalpara, Kamrup, Morigaon, Hojai, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Majuli, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and West Karbi Anglong districts.
According to a forecast by the India Meteorological Department, there will be "fairly widespread to widespread rainfall activity with isolated heavy falls very likely to continue over east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim and northeastern states during next five days" due to a cyclonic circulation that lies over north Chhattisgarh and neighbourhood. In Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi, Ballia and some others areas in the eastern region of the state received rains. State capital Lucknow recorded a maximum temperature of 35.6 degrees Celsius. Agra was the hottest city in the state with a maximum of 37.7 degrees Celsius, followed by Jhansi 37.6 and Etawah 37.
The day temperature hovered close to normal in Haryana and Punjab. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a maximum temperature of 36.3 degrees Celsius. Hisar experienced a hot day recording a high of 40.4 degrees Celsius.
Most cities in Rajasthan recorded an increase in maximum temperature by two to three degrees Celsius as compared to Monday.
In Gujarat, seven persons, including two children, were killed in separate incidents of lightning strike in Saurashtra region that witnessed heavy rainfall on Tuesday, police said. A 35-year-old woman and her 12-year-old son were struck by lightning at their farm in Rakka village at Lalpur in Jamnagar district, while two women were killed at Viramdad village in Devbhoomi Dwarka district, an official said. In similar incidents, three persons died in lightning strike at two villages in Botad district, he said.
The deceased included a five-year-old boy, his 60-yearold grandfather and a 17-yearold girl, the official said.
Heavy rains lashed several parts of Saurashtra, especially Jamnagar, Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Rajkot and Bhavnagar districts.