Heavy rain lashes several states, bridge collapses in Jaharkhand

Heavy rains lashed large parts of the country on Saturday, especially in Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand where showers due to a deep depression affected normal life. In Jharkhand, a farmer was washed away after he fell from a decade-old bridge that collapsed in Bokaro on Saturday following the swelling of the river due to incessant rains since Friday.Bokaro district deputy commissioner Jadhav Vijaya Narayan Rao confirmed the collapse of the portion of the bridge and the washing away of the farmer.According to reports, two spans and a pillar of the bridge collapsed at around 5.30am on Saturday and a resident of Dhendhe village identified as Bhanwarilal Prajapati, 52, a farmer going to his farm on the other side of the bridge fell into the river with the span and got washed away.Several road diversions were washed away, trees uprooted and houses damaged due to incessant rain for the past two days in Jharkhand.
In Himachal Pradesh, flash floods and landslides due to cloudbursts and heavy rains have led to the closure of 114 roads, while the weather department warned that heavy showers would continue until August 7. The state's road transport corporation has suspended its bus services on 82 routes.The hunt for 45 people, who went missing after a series of cloudbursts in Kullu's Nirmand, Sainj and Malana; Mandi's Padhar and Shimla's Rampur subdivision on the night of July 31 going on..As many as 410 rescuers from teams of the Army, NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, CISF, Himachal Pradesh Police and home guards are involved in the hunt with the help of drones.

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh | Indian Army continues its effort in rescue and restoration in the areas affected by the cloudburst that occurred on August 1 in Rampur's Samej.

The Army establishes temporary bridges to establish connectivity between areas cut off, to facilitate… pic.twitter.com/4mbDvQvIgQ

— ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2024

In the south, Tamil Nadu's Namakkal district remained flooded as the Cauvery River flowed above the danger mark, inundating low-lying areas. Chief Minister M K Stalin said that 11 relief camps have been set up in the district and about 1,086 people have been shifted there. The Uttarakhand government has deployed Chinook and Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force to rescue nearly 1,450 tourists stranded at four locations along the Kedarnath route. Two days ago, a 70-metre stretch of road near the Bhimbali police post was damaged by a landslide, causing a complete blockade of the road connectivity to Kedarnath Shrine.

#IAF helicopters Mi-17V5 and Chinook navigated through challenging weather in the Uttarakhand hills. Despite the inclement conditions, IAF helicopters have transported one ton of load, evacuated three patients requiring oxygen, and safely recovered forty three passengers,… pic.twitter.com/9Tms4v8rKg

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) August 3, 2024

Meanwhile, the death toll in the Wayanad landslides increased to 218 while Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the search and rescue operations that began on July 30 have reached the final stages. He also said that 206 people are still missing.More than 1,300 rescuers, heavy machinery and sophisticated equipment have been deployed to look for survivors from the ravages of the landslides. However, huge boulders and logs deposited in the residential areas of Mundakkai and Chooralmala following the landslides are posing a significant challenge in the rescue efforts.

#WATCH | Meghashree, Wayanad District Collector says, " Rescue operation is going on in full swing. Today 1,300+ forces are deployed...volunteers are also there...yesterday volunteers who went for the rescue operation got stranded there, today we are taking precautions so that it… pic.twitter.com/GZJqJ5a3VA

— ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2024

In adjoining West Bengal, incessant rain lashed Kolkata and its neighbouring districts as a low-pressure area turned into a deep depression. Waterlogging was reported from several parts of the state's capital, including the airport but flight services were not affected.