At least six people died due to rain-related incidents in Kolkata, where heavy downpour and thunderstorms occurred on Tuesday, leaving the city paralysed.
Heavy overnight rains left several areas in the city waterlogged.
According to reports, deaths were reported from Beniapukur, Kalikapur, Netaji Nagar, Gariahat, and Ekbalpur.
The waterlogging has not only disrupted traffic movement in the city but also suburban rail and Metro services, considered the lifeline in Kolkata.
The natural calamity hit Kolkata at a time when the city was gearing up to celebrate the one-week-long Durga Puja festival, the major religious event in the city.
Several areas in the city reported power outages.
The India Meteorological Department said Kolkata received nearly 250 mm of rain over the past 24 hours.
In its last update, the IMD said on Monday: “Light to moderate rain/thunderstorm at most/many places with isolated heavy rainfall likely over Odisha, Chhattisgarh during 22nd–27th; Bihar on 25th & 26th; Jharkhand during 23rd–25th; Gangetic West Bengal on 22nd & 23rd; West Madhya Pradesh on 22nd, Vidarbha during 24th–27th September with very heavy rainfall over Odisha on 22nd, 23rd, 25th & 26th; Gangetic West Bengal on 22nd and Chhattisgarh on 24th & 25th September.”
The IMD predicted that another low-pressure area is likely to form over east-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal around September 25.
Meanwhile, major airlines like IndiGo issued an advisory for passengers, urging them to consider the slow-moving traffic in Kolkata due to heavy rains and waterlogging on the route to the airport, to avoid missing their flights.
No cancellation of flight has been reported so far.
