Heavy rains disrupt life in Latur; schools shut, rescue teams in action

Heavy downpour has disrupted life in Maharashtra's Latur district, prompting the administration to declare a school holiday on Friday, officials said.

Of the 60 revenue circles in the district in the state's Marathwada region, 29 had reported excessive rainfall till Thursday night as water levels in rivers and streams rose, triggering rescue operations, they said.

About 50 roads and bridges were shut after water began to flow over the structures.

With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a yellow alert for August 29, District Collector and Disaster Management Authority Chairperson Varsha Thakur-Ghuge has announced a holiday for all schools from Class 1 to 12, an official said.

Disaster management teams and local villagers rescued ten persons stranded in flood-hit areas of Shirur Anantpal and Ahmedpur talukas. An Army team has also arrived in Ahmedpur.

In Shirur Anantpal, five persons trapped in a riverside shed and three labourers stuck during bridge construction on the Gharni river were safely rescued. In Ahmedpur's Kalegaon, one person stranded on a reservoir spillway was also brought to safety, the official said.

In Makni village, locals saved a man after he got swept away while crossing a flooded bridge. He sustained minor injuries and is receiving treatment at Saikripa Hospital in Shirur Tajband.

The Nilanga-Udgir-Dhanegaon stretch of State Highway 238 has been closed due to overflowing waters, while the Nilanga-Udgir road is shut after a bridge on the Manjara river near Shiur got submerged, the official said.

Backwaters have also blocked two roads connecting Tagarkheda to Aurad, forcing vehicles to take a detour via Halse-Tambarwadi-Halgara to reach Bidar road.

In Nilanga taluka's Shelgi village, five bovine animals were killed in a lightning strike around midnight on Thursday.

In Chakur tehsil, 679 students and 40 teachers were stranded at a Kendriya Vidyalaya School, located in a BSF camp, after the school premises got waterlogged. All of them were rescued by BSF jawans on Thursday evening.

Neighbouring Nanded has also been affected by heavy rains.

More than 2,200 persons were shifted to safety in Nanded and Latur following torrential downpour, officials had said on Thursday.