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4 children drown, trains cancelled amid flood-like situation in Rajasthan
The drowning incident occurred when five children were bathing in the pit and slipped into deep waters.
Jodhpur, Bhilwara and Chittorgarh districts of Rajasthan are witnessing flood-like situation due to incessant heavy rainfall. As roads and railway tracks were inundated, the north western railway (NWR) had to cancel seven trains, partially cancel six, and divert two others.
In Jodhpur, an incident of the car being swept away in rainwater was reported while four children drowned in a pit filled with rainwater in Gawariyon ki Dhani under the Bhopalgarh subdivision. The drowning incident occurred when five children were bathing in the pit and slipped into deep waters. One of them managed to come out and raised an alarm, but it was too late, news agency PTI quoted an officer as saying.
The deceased were identified as Anita (15), Sanju (16), Pintu (12) and Kishore (12).
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot condoled the death and announced ₹5 lakh for the family of each deceased under the Chiranjeevi Accident insurance scheme. The child who survived will be given an assistance amount of ₹20,000 from the chief minister's relief fund. Gehlot also appealed to people to stay alert in the monsoon season.
“I pray to God to give peace to the departed soul and courage to the family members…I again appeal to everyone to take all possible precautions in this rainy season and take full precautions to avoid heavy rains, lightning and other natural calamities,” the chief minister said in a series of tweets.
A two-wheeler in Tonk was swept away in rainwater while a portion of a building in Bhilwara collapsed as the city received extremely heavy rains at 21 cm in the 24 hours ending 8.30am on Tuesday.
Heavy to very heavy rains lashed several parts of Chittorgarh, Jaipur, Ajmer, Sawai Madhopur, Rajsamand, Dungarpur, Banswara, Kota, Sirohi, Jodhpur, Pali, Nagaur and Jalore districts during this period.
"Directions have been issued to the district administration to remain alert and get prepared to handle any situation," Gehlot tweeted.
Jodhpur-Jaisalmer, Jaisalmer-Jodhpur, Jodhpur-Bhopal, Bhopal-Jodhpur, Jodhpur-Barmer, Jodhpur-Hisar and Hisar-Bikaner trains were cancelled due to inundated railway tracks, according to an NWR spokesperson.
