Pune rains: 18 killed in rain-related incidents

At least 18 people were killed in multiple incidents of flooding and wall collapse after heavy rains battered Pune district in Maharashtra.

Around 10,500 people from several water-logged areas were shifted  following heavy rainfall in Pune district on September 25, officials said.

Water-logging was reported at Sinhgad Road, Dhanakwadi, Balajinagar, Ambegaon, Sahakar Nagar, Parvati, Kolhewadi and Kirkatwadi.

Five people sleeping at a dargah in Khed-Shivapur village, located on the Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway, were washed away after the heavy downpour, Superintendent of Police Sandip Patil said, adding that two persons from Purandar area were reported missing.

Besides, five people, including a nine-year-old boy, were killed in incidents of wall collapse in the flooded Arneshwar area, chief fire officer Prashant Ranpise told news agency PTI.

Also, one person was found dead near a school in an inundated locality in Sahakar Nagar while another body was found in a car washed away near Sinhgad road, he said.

Besides, more than 500 people stranded in low-lying areas of the city were also rescued, Ranpise said.

“Rain stopped on September 26 morning, but many houses and residential societies in low-lying areas were still inundated. There were several reports of wall collapse and uprooting of trees in those places,” another fire official said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has condoled the loss of lives in Pune.

“We are providing all possible assistance needed. State disaster management officials and control room in continuous touch with Pune collector and PMC (sic),” he added.

Fadnavis said in another tweet that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed in Pune and Baramati. He added that the state government was “closely monitoring the dam discharge”.