47 feared killed in Madhya Pradesh floods

47 feared killed in Madhya Pradesh floods

Incessant rains across Madhya Pradesh caused havoc Monday with 47 people feared dead, several areas submerged and major trains halted outside the city as army personnel were deployed in rescue operations. In Bhopal, 12 people were confirmed dead and 13 were missing as the state capital recorded 28 cm rainfall in the 24 hours to Monday evening - a record since 1973.The army had to be called in several areas under deluge, as many low-lying localities were inundated. A wall of the governor's residence caved in due to the heavy rains. After many years, the 12 gates of the Bhadbhada Dam here were opened Monday due to heavy inflow of water and neighbouring districts were alerted for a possible flood. Vehicular traffic from here to neighbouring areas also remained paralysed, as floodwater was flowing above bridges over many rivers and rivulets. Traffic was suspended on the Bhopal-Indore, Bhopal-Hoshangabad and Indore-Nagpur roads. Train traffic was disrupted as the engine of the Rapti Sagar Express derailed Sunday night near Midghat in the Bhopal division of the West-Central Railway. Over a dozen long-distance trains including the Rajdhani Express, Bhopal Express, Karnataka Express, GT Express and Kamayani Express were stopped outside the city. "The trains would be allowed to enter the Bhopal station only after the rainwater recedes. Many trains bound for south and western parts are plying behind the schedule," said a railway official. While almost all schools in the city declared holiday Monday, attendance in state and central government offices was thin. Irate residents in several localities protested the laxity of the administration in relief work and lack of drainage facilities.Elsewhere in the state, 15 people were killed in Badwani, five in Ujjain, four in Burhanpur, three each in Mandsor and Dewas, two in sagar and one in Jhabua, according to officials. Three villages in western Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district were partially flooded though the situation has improved in other parts with water levels receding.The met department forecast heavy rains in Sagar, Rewa and Jabalpur divisions.Ujjain sub-divisional commissioner Jaideep Govind said assessment of losses had begun and directions been given to disburse the relief amount. Heavy rains also affected normal life in Hoshangabad, Balaghat, Mandla Jabalpur, Chhindwara and Seoni districts. Seoni town has been cut off with water flowing four feet above the Seoni-Chhindwara road. At Hoshangabad, the Narmada river had crossed the danger mark. A few other rivers, including Parvati and Kalisindh, were in spate.
--- IANS