Heavy rains lash Kolkata, 3 killed

Heavy rains on Friday lashed the Kolkata city and several other parts of West Bengal claiming three lives and flattening several mud-built houses.

Gusts of wind accompanied by heavy rains caused the collapse of mud-built houses and uprooted trees in many districts in south Bengal on Thursday night.

One of the casualties occurred in Kolkata when a person was electrocuted, while three others were injured near a cinema house in New Market area, police said.

The other casualty was in neighbouring South 24 Parganas district. A fish seller, Premchand, was electrocuted when he came in contact with a wire lying on the road at Bibirhat in the Bishnu police station limits. A man was killed as a wall gave way at Noapara village in north 24 Parganas district.

All low-lying areas of Kolkata were flooded while 137 trees were uprooted disrupting traffic.

Water logging on tracks in Eastern Railways' Sealdah division affected EMU services. Metro services were also suspended for some time. Fishermen were advised not to venture into the sea till Saturday noon. High tides are also forecast in coastal areas.

Regional Meteorological Centre Director G C Debnath said the deep depression was lying 30 km north northwest of Kolkata at 2:30 pm and was likely to intensify further, resulting in more rains in the next 24 hours.