12 Dead After Heavy Rain In Pune; Schools, Colleges Closed Today

At least 12 people were killed in various incidents of flooding and wall collapse after heavy rains battered Maharashtra's Pune district, officials said on Thursday. Condoling the deaths, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said that state government was closely monitoring the situation. 

Mr Fadnavis tweeted his condolences and said 15,000 people had been evacuated in the city of Baramati. 

15,000 persons evacuated from Baramati.
Situation is fully under control and we are keeping close watch. #punerains pic.twitter.com/fv3jVmgX8u

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) September 26, 2019

The chief minister said teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were deployed in the city and Baramati tehsil, and all necessary assistance was being provided in the affected areas. Schools and colleges in various tehsils of Pune declared a holiday on Thursday in view of the deluge.

Five people sleeping at a dargah in Khed-Shivapur village, located on the Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway, were washed away after the heavy downpour, senior police official 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 said. 

"Over 10,000 people from low-lying areas in Baramati were shifted to safer places after water was released from Nazare dam, built on the Karha river near Jejuri," Mr Patil said.

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

"Rain stopped on Thursday 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. 

Mr Fadnavis also tweeted that 2 NDRF teams were deployed in Pune and 2 in Baramati. 

2 NDRF teams are deployed in Pune & 2 in Baramati.
One more NDRF team is on way to Baramati.
State Government is also closely monitoring the dam discharge.

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) September 26, 2019

"Rain stopped on Thursday 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 brigade official said.

A number of low-lying areas in and around Pune were flooded after heavy showers lashed the city on Wednesday.

Water-logging was reported in Sinhgad Road, Dhanakwadi, Balajinagar, Ambegaon, Sahakar Nagar, Parvati, Kolhewadi and Kirkatwadi, Mr Ranpise said.

Pune district collector Naval Kishore Ram has declared a holiday in schools and colleges of Pune city, Purandar, Baramati, Bhor and Haveli Tehsils for Thursday.

(With inputs from IANS, PTI, ANI)