112 dead, 99 missing in rain-related incidents in Maharashtra, say officials

MUMBAI: About 112 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents, 99 still missing in Maharashtra till Saturday night, said the Relief and Rehabilitation Department.

As per the state government's data, about 1 lakh 35 thousand people have been evacuated from the flood-affected areas.

"As per the data of July 24 at 9.30 pm, about 1 lakh 35 thousand people have been evacuated from the flood-affected areas. A total of 112 deaths have been reported and 3221 animals have died. A total of 53 people were injured and 99 are missing," said Relief and Rehabilitation Department.

Meanwhile, floodwater has entered the roads and fields, submerging many areas of the Sangli district in Maharashtra.

Locals of the area are keeping around the clock vigil and alerting the passersby of the rising water levels.

"Situation is not okay. Water is receding towards Samdoli now. Many cars are also stuck here," said Sumit, a local.

Another villager Pramod, who was among the locals keeping a watch to check the water level, said, "We are sitting here to ensure that floodwater doesn't enter Samdoli. If water goes beyond here, our daily route will be shut."

Meanwhile, people of nearby villages have temporarily sought rehabilitation at Samdoli village following floods in several areas of the Sangli district.

Sarpanch of Samdoli, Vaibhav informed, "About 60-70 people have been shifted here. Floods have ravaged their houses, we are arranging whatever possible from our end."

Earlier in the day, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in a statement said an extensive search is on for missing persons in Maharashtra's Raigad, Ratnagiri and Satara districts.

NDRF said its 26 teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations in Mumbai, Thane, Ratnagiri, Palghar, Raigad, Sahara, Sangli, Sindhudurg Nagar and Kolhapur in coordination with the state administration. Additional eight teams are being airlifted to Maharashtra-- four each from Kolkata and Vadodara.

Earlier, a landslide caused by heavy rains in Raigad district in Maharashtra has led to the death of at least 36 persons. An NDRF team is undertaking the rescue efforts at the site of the incident and efforts are being made to airlift another team from Kurla. The team could not land on Friday due to bad weather conditions.

Meanwhile, NDRF is constantly tracking the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) weather forecast and Central Water Commission's report and taking actions accordingly, the statement said.