Flooding in Pune after heavy rain; 7 killed, 500 rescued

At least seven people were killed in separate incidents of flooding and wall collapse after heavy rains pounded Maharashtra's Pune district, a fire brigade official said on Thursday.

More than 500 people from various water-logged areas were also shifted to safer places following heavy rains in Pune on Wednesday night, he said, adding that the rescue operation was still underway.

Five people, including a nine-year-old boy, were killed in incidents of wall collapse on Wednesday night in Arneshwar area which was flooded after heavy showers, chief fire officer Prashant Ranpise said, without elaborating.

Besides, one person was found dead near a school in an inundated locality in Sahakar Nagar while another body was found in a car washed away near Sinhgad road, he said.

"So far, over 500 people have been rescued from various flooded areas where they were stranded after the heavy downpour," he said, adding that two persons from Arneshwar and one from Wanawdi area were reported missing.

Along with the fire brigade, personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were also engaged in rescuing people from various low-lying areas.

"Rain stopped on Thursday morning, but many houses and residential societies in low-lying areas were still inundated. There were several reports of wall collapse and uprooting of trees in those places," another fire brigade official said.

A number of low-lying areas in and around Pune were flooded after heavy showers lashed the city on Wednesday.

Water-logging was reported in Sinhgad Road, Dhanakwadi, Balajinagar, Ambegaon, Sahakar Nagar, Parvati, Kolhewadi and Kirkatwadi, Ranpise said.