Heavy Rain In The Last 117 Years, Floods Hit India's Kolkata Kill 8 People

JAKARTA - At least eight people died from electric shocks after heavy rains caused heavy floods to hit Kolkata, India.

The flood paralyzed transportation services, state institutions, and forced the government to set additional holidays for two days before next week's Durga Puja holiday.

"At least eight people died of electric shocks, according to our reports so far," said a senior Kolkata Police official, quoted from the Times of India, Tuesday, September 23.

The head of the West Bengal Minister, Mamata Banerjee, described the extreme rain in her area as "unprecedented".

He blamed the dredging of the Farakka dam and the negligence of the private power company CESC for the death, while urging the public to stay indoors in the face of this disaster.

"I've never seen rain like this. I heard 7-8 people died from being electrocuted from an open or unguarded cable. It's a shame... Their families all have to be given a job by CESC. I say this clearly," Amerjee told news channel

The sixth most heavy rain in 117 years

The massive flood of '251.4 mm in less than 24 hours' was the highest since 1988, and the sixth highest daily rainfall in 117 years, just below the 369.6 mm record in 1978 and 253 mm in 1988.

This large flood turned arterial roads into rivers, cut off Metro and train services, and disrupted air travel.

Transportation officials said 30 flights to and from Kolkata were canceled yesterday and several other flights experienced significant delays.

On the one hand, Kolkata is breathless to return to normal ahead of the Durga Puja holiday this week.

Last midnight rain also made flooding spread with more Kolkata residents' houses submerged.

It did not stop there, residents of Kolkata were asked to prepare for further heavy rain because the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the low-pressure area in northeastern Bengal Bay is expected to experience heavy rain in a number of districts.

The state's Minister of Education, Bratya Basu, announced that in the face of this disaster all state educational institutions were closed on September 24 and 25.

"Situation like an unprecedented disaster is happening in this state. In accordance with the recommendation of the chief minister to assist our students in the current situation and to prevent accidents, it has been decided to close all educational institutions tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, September 24 and 25," Basu wrote on X.