Heavy rains lash Gwalior-Chambal region, 200 villages marooned

SIX DIE IN RAIN-RELATED INCIDENTS ACROSS NORTHERN STATES

NEW DELHI: Torrential rains pummelled the GwaliorChambal region in Madhya Pradesh, affecting 1,171 villages. Six people, including three children, died in rain-related incidents across northern states of the country which were lashed by heavy rainfall.

In Madhya Pradesh, heavy rains were witnessed in the Gwalior-Chambal region, especially Sheopur and Shivpuri districts, officials said, adding NDRF and SDRF teams have rescued 1,600 people from flooded areas so far but at least 200 villages are still marooned.

The Army has been called in for rescue operations in Shivpuri, Sheopur, Gwalior and Datia districts, state Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajesh Rajora said, adding that despite bad weather, IAF helicopters conducted four sorties to rescue people from the flood-affected areas.

Earlier in the day, three people stranded atop a tree for about 24 hours in Beechi village and five others in Piproudha in flood-hit Shivpuri district, which witnessed unprecedented heavy rains, were rescued, officials said.

A total of 1,171 villages were affected in the GwaliorChambal region due to excessive rainfall, especially Shivpuri and Sheopur, where an unprecedented 800 mm rainfall (in the last 24 hours ending 8 am on Tuesday) resulted in flooding, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters.