Bhopal: Eleven people have died due to flood-related mishaps in Madhya Pradesh in the last couple of days, while Bhopal city recorded 290.8 mm (over 11 inches) of rainfall in the last 24 hours.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited many flooded areas of the city on Saturday.
Around 20,000 people — 1,000 in Bhopal alone — were evacuated to safer places by Homeguard jawans and State Disaster Response Force, said the Homeguard’s divisional commandant KS Parihar.
The rains threw the normal life out of gear, affecting road, railway traffic, and snapped power supply in many places across the state.
Railway tracks were under water at Bhopal, Habibganj, Itarsi, Jabalpur, Sagar and Bina stations, an official of the Bhopal division of Railways said.
Amid drizzle, Chouhan comforted the people hit by the floods and promised all possible help. In many low-lying areas in the city boats were pressed into service to rescue stranded people.
Rains battered Vidisha, Sehore, Betul, Hoshangabad, Raisen, Harda and Sehore districts as well.
In Agar-Malwa district, Narayan Singh (42) who was crossing a bridge across a swollen Batan river was swept in the strong current and was missing, police said.
Five youths swept away in Tamas river at Purwa falls in Rewa district while taking selfies on June 6 are yet to be traced. “We are searching for them at three places near the Purwa falls,” Rewa Collector Rahul Jain told PTI.
Chouhan had told reporters earlier today that eight people had died in rain/flood related incidents in the last three-four days in the state.
Two persons died in Bhopal and one each in Tikamgarh, Rewa, Jhabua, Betul, Raisen and Panna districts, he said.
Afterwards, another death was reported in Bhopal where Sourabh Katiyar (21) was washed away in a nullah near Shahpura lake here while riding a motorcycle. His body was recovered.
One person each died in Mandla and Singrauli districts on Friday after they were washed away in flooded nullahs.
“Any one in distress can dial 1079 for help,” Chouhan told people. (PTI)
