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23 killed in rain-related incidents in across eight UP districts
According to state data, while nine people were killed in Lucknow , five were killed in Unnao, three were killed in Fatehpur, two in Prayagraj and one each in Jhansi, Rae Bareli, Sitapur and Kannauj
At least 23 people were killed in various incidents across eight districts of Uttar Pradesh amid continuous rains in the state for the past three days, officials said on Friday.
According to state government data, while nine people were killed in Lucknow , five were killed in Unnao, 3 were killed in Fatehpur, two in Prayagraj and one each in Jhansi, Rae Bareli, Sitapur and Kannauj.
Besides, waterlogging in several parts led to closure of schools in Lucknow and cancellation of exams by Lucknow University on Friday, they added.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted isolated heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning in east Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.
While the state recorded an average of 32.2mm rainfall in the past 24 hours, Lucknow registered 160.1 mm rainfall between Thursday and Friday – the highest in 36 years in September, according to the IMD. The all-time high rainfall for a day this month was 177.1 mm on September 14, 1985.
In view of the heavy rains, chief minister Yogi Adiyanath directed officials across districts to monitor relief work and ensure financial help is provided to the affected swiftly, an official statement said.
Nine people, including three children, were killed and two were injured after a boundary wall near Gaur Enclave in Lucknow Cantonment area collapsed following overnight rains.
The deceased, who were sleeping at the time of the incident, were mostly labourers from Jhansi, officials said. They were identified as Pradeep (28), his wife Reshma (25), their one-year-old daughter Naina, besides Chanda (26), her husband Dharmendra (28), and their two sons, aged one and two years and Pappu (50), and his wife Mankunwar Devi (45).
The state government announced a financial assistance of ₹4 lakh each to the families of the deceased. The chief minister directed the district administration to ensure proper treatment of the injured, officials said.
In a similar incident, four people were killed after a kutcha house collapsed in Asoha area of Unnao district, relief commissioner Ranvir Singh said.
In Rae Bareli, an infant died while three people were injured after the roof of a house at Muraiyapur locality, under City Kotwali police station limits, caved in on Friday morning, Singh said.
“Other than this, one person was killed in Kannauj and four others were injured in Kushinagar district due to lightning. Two persons were killed and one person was injured due to snake bites in Sonbhadra district,” the relief commissioner said.
Besides Adiyanath, President Droupadi Murmu, Defence minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel and deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident.
Lucknow District Magistrate SP Gangwar said several hospitals and primary and community health centres, along with trauma management units, have been put on alert.
“The hospitals have been asked to be prepared for treatment of people who may come with injuries or water-borne diseases. Also, ambulance services 108 and 102 have been put on alert,” he said.
Divisional commissioner Roshan Jacob and other top officials inspected water-logged areas of Lucknowas the district administration shared toll-free numbers with residents to pump out water from their localities.
In a statement, the Chief Minister’s Office said top officers have been asked to hold a survey of the flooded areas and carry out relief and rescue work.
The officers have been asked to ensure swift disbursal of relief money to families, which have lost their kin, houses or livestock, the statement added.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, however, hit out at the state government over the loss of lives and property, saying a bout of rainfall “washed away” all its development schemes.
“Life in Uttar Pradesh has been badly disrupted due to heavy rains. Government claims and the functioning of local bodies have been exposed and there have been deaths in many districts, including Lucknow. All plans of the BJP government were washed away in one strong gust of rain,” he said in a statement.
Targeting the chief minister, Yadav alleged that the government was insensitive towards people and their problems.
The meteorological department had predicted heavy rain but the administration did not make any arrangements and the officials were caught unawares, the former chief minister said, adding as a result, life came to a standstill due to waterlogging at many places.
