4 dead in rain-related incidents as monsoon rains continue to lash large parts of India

As incessant rainfall triggered by the southwest monsoon continued to lash a large part of India on Sunday, three people died in rain-related incidents in Assam and a minor girl was fatally struck by lightning in Jammu and Kashmir.

New Delhi:Three people died in rain-related incidents in Assam and a minor girl was fatally struck by lightning in Jammu and Kashmir, as incessant rainfall triggered by the southwest monsoon continued to lash a large part of India on Sunday.

Several northeastern states have been bearing the brunt of the monsoon floods and local administrations have tried to move people from vulnerable areas to safer places.

The flood in Assam has affected nearly 9.3 lakh people in 23 districts. The mighty Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark in several areas, including Guwahati.

Embankments, roads and bridges have been damaged at many places. Dibrugarh has been under water for four days. Additionally, 1,289 villages are submerged and 37,313.46 hectares of crop area has been damaged, the disaster management authority said.

On Sunday, two landslides hit Guwahati, prompting authorities to ask people to move to safer places. A woman college student was buried by one of them near Raj Bhawan in Guwahati. No casualty was reported in the second landslide.

Two more people died in Dhemaji and Udalgriri districts due to flood. At least 18 people have died so far in Assam floods, according to an official estimate.

PSU major Oil India Ltd said its efforts to douse a blaze at its damaged gas well in Baghjan area have been severely hampered by the rising floodwater level at the site.

In Sikkim, 19 houses and a hostel of a senior secondary school were damaged in a flash flood in upper Djongu region, affecting at least 35 families, an official said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and state minister Himanta Biswa Sarma about the alarming situation developing due to the rising water of the Brahmaputra.

He also talked to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and assured him Central help for potential flooding as the water level of Mahananda river continued to rise.

The central India too has received a decent amount of rainfall during this monsoon season and several rivers are flowing above the danger mark in various places.

Madhya Pradesh has received 88 per cent excess rainfall in June so far as compared to the normal average due to the early onset of monsoon. The monsoon arrived in Madhya Pradesh on June 14 and became active in the entire state in next 10 days, G D Mishra, senior meteorologist of India Meteorological Department's Bhopal office said.

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand also continued to received scattered rainfall.

A 10-year-old girl was killed and three persons were injured after being struck by lightning in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

The lightning hit a mud-house around 5.30 pm, resulting in the on-the-spot death of the girl and injuries to three others.

The mercury, however, continued to rise in Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.

In Delhi, the maximum temperature was recorded 40.2 degrees Celsius, three notches above the normal. At 42 degrees Celsius, Hisar was the hottest location across Punjab and Haryana.

Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan was the hottest place in the state with a maximum temperature of 43 degrees Celsius. The meteorological department has said the monsoon appears to have weakened after reaching Rajasthan on June 25.

According to the MeT Department, till 8.30 am on Sunday, 2 cm of rainfall was recorded in Dholpur, Sepau in Dhaulpur and Kumher in Bharatpur.

It, however, said light rain can be expected over the next four-five days in Delhi and adjoining states.

(PTI Report)