Maharashtra Rains: 37 Feared Dead in Last 48 Hours

Cyclone Gulab, which made landfall in Andhra and Odisha on Sunday, continues to wreak havoc in Maharashtra.

Thane: Women walk under an umbrella during rains due to cyclone Gulab's influence at Mumbra in Thane on Tuesday.

(Photo: PTI)

According to sources, at least 13 people have been confirmed dead due to incessant rain in Maharashtra and around 37 are feared dead in separate incidents in the last 48 hours.

The cyclonic storm Gulab, which made landfall over the north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south coastal Odisha on Sunday, continues to wreak havoc in Maharashtra, which is experiencing relentless spells of rain in many of its regions.

For the last two days, areas of Marathwada, North Maharashtra and Vidarbha in the state have been battered with rain with the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting 30 to 40 kilometres of wind speed and heavy rain in Mumbai, Thane and Palghar on Wednesday, 29 September.

In Marathwada, a National Disaster Response Force team was mobilised for each of its districts, and over 500 people were rescued from the region on Tuesday, News18 reported.

Meanwhile, the downpour, causing Nashik's Gangapur Dam to overflow, has resulted in a sharp increase in Godavari river's water levels and flooding of adjacent areas. Aurangabad city and its surrounding areas are also waterlogged.

2121 Villages Affected

Around 2121 villages, including 411 villages in Kolhapur, 113 villages in Sangli, 416 in Satara, 420 in Pune, 25 in Ratnagiri, 70 in Raigad and over 600 villages in Akola have been affected by the heavy rain.

The downpour has flooded 43 main roads in the state, with three passengers being reported dead in Yavatmal district, after a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) was washed away while crossing an inundated bridge.

Additionally, due to excessive damage to crops, the Maharashtra Government has sought assistance of around 7000 crores from the Centre.

In the next 24 hours, the IMD has forecasted ‘extremely heavy rains‘ at a few places in Marathwada, Mumbai and other parts of the coastal Konkan region of Maharashtra.

(With updates from News18)