UP: Many rivers in spate; at least 14 dead due to rain-related incidents, drowning

LUCKNOW: Many rivers including Ganga, Sharda and Ghaghra were flowing above the danger mark in Uttar Pradesh after heavy rainfall even as 14 people have died in rain-related and drowning incidents since Saturday, including 10 in a building collapse in Meerut.

Heavy rain is very likely at isolated places over eastern UP and "thunderstorm accompanied with lightning" is expectes at isolated places over East UP," the meteorological department said.

Officials said 10 people were killed after a three-storey house collapsed in the Zakir Nagar area of Meerut on Saturday following heavy rains.

"When the rescue operation started, the relatives gave information about 15 people. Three managed to escape when the building was collapsing," District Magistrate Deepak Meena told reporters.

"The death toll stands at 10 while five persons are alive. The rescue operations will continue till the entire debris is removed," the officer said.

In Gonda, two persons, including a woman, died on Sunday in separate incidents of drowning, police said.

Gulam Nabi (18) and his friend Chhotu had gone for fishing in the Gulharia village and slipped into deep water, police said.

While Chhotu was saved by locals, Nabi drowned, they added.

In a separate incident in the Lonianpurwa village in Umri Begumganj, three women were swept away by the strong currents of the Ghagra river, they said. Aarti (30) lost her life while two other women were rescued by the locals, they added.

Two children drowned while trying to rescue a goat from a river in Shahjahanpur The incident occurred in Tilua village of Kalan area when some children went to graze their goats near a river on Saturday evening, Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajesh S said.

He said, the villagers were able to rescue four children safely from the river, while Vandana (12) and Silesh (10) died by drowning.

According to the Relief Commissioner's report, river Ganga is flowing above the danger mark in Kachhla Bridge (Budaun), Yamuna in Auraiya, Kalpi, Jalaun, Hamirpur; Sharda river in Palliakalan and Sharda Nagar (Lakhimpur Kheri), Ghaghra river in Elgin Bridged (Barabanki) and Ayodhya.

Light to moderate rain and thundershowers occurred at a few places over western Uttar Pradesh and at isolated places over eastern Uttar Pradesh.

"The state received 2.2 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours (from Saturday 6 pm to Sunday 6 pm )," the Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner's office said on Sunday.

In Prayagraj, due to a rise in water level in Ganga and Yamuna rivers, water entered in many low-lying localities and colonies.

Additional DM, Finance and Revenue, Vinay Kumar Singh said boats were deployed to take flood-affected people of Badra Sonauti village in Phulpur, Bhagesar Delhi village in Karchhana and Daraganj.

He said that 1,130 people from 15 localities are staying in shelter homes and about 500 of the district are affected due to floods.