Police say nine people died in Kolkata, with most deaths reported due to electrocution
\n kolkata
\nAt least 12 people died as heavy rain lashed the eastern Indian city of Kolkata and surrounding areas ahead of a major festival, flooding streets, disrupting transport and leaving residents stranded for hours, officials said on Wednesday.
\nMost of the rain, as much as 251.6 mm(9.9 inches) in 24 hours, fell during the early hours of Tuesday and was the heaviest witnessed in the city since 1988, said HR Biswas, the regional head of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Kolkata.
\nPolice said nine people died in Kolkata, with most of the deaths due to electrocution. Two people drowned, they added.
\nThe rains brought the state capital to a standstill, seriously hampering preparations for the upcoming Durga Puja \u2014 the biggest annual festival of Hindus in West Bengal state.
\nMany pandals, temporary structures built with bamboo and other materials for the festival, and clay idols of the deities also suffered damage across the city.
\nRoads were submerged under waist-deep water in some areas, stranding vehicles and forcing commuters to wade through flooded streets.
\nRoad, train, and air traffic were severely disrupted, with several flights and trains cancelled or delayed. Power outages affected multiple areas for hours, compounding residents\u2019 difficulties.
\n\u201cI got stranded in my hotel as my flight got cancelled and the roads were all waterlogged,\u201d said Ranjan Panda, a water and climate expert. Authorities said they have deployed water pumps to clear streets and railway tracks, with relief measures, including food distribution and emergency services, underway.
\nThe IMD predicted more rain in the state and eastern India over the next few days due to the formation of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal.
\nThe state government declared schools and other educational institutions closed on Wednesday and Thursday before the holidays for the festival to take effect from Friday.
\nOfficials said conditions will normalise by Wednesday evening while urging residents to remain cautious as water levels gradually recede in low-lying areas.
\n\u201cThis should not have happened after four hours of rain. West Bengal is not in a good condition,\u201d Sandip Ghosh, a local resident in Kolkata, told Indian news agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Police say nine people died in Kolkata, with most deaths reported due to electrocution kolkata At least 12 people died as heavy rain lashed the eastern Indian city of Kolkata and surrounding areas ahead of a major festival, flooding streets, disrupting transport and leaving residents stranded for hours, officials said on Wednesday. Most of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":504893,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-504854","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n