Rains claim 19 lives in Maharashtra in 3 days

Heavy rains in parts of Maharashtra during last three days have claimed 19 lives, Chief Secretary Johny Joseph said here on Saturday.

“Thirteen people were killed in Ratnagiri, five in Solapur district and one in Sindhudurg district,” Mr. Joseph told reporters here.

The Ratnagiri death toll includes eight persons killed in landslide two days ago.

Six villages in Sangli district of western Maharashtra have been cut off due to heavy rains over the past couple of days, he said. Eight boats have been deployed for relief operations there, Mr. Joseph said.

Thirty of the 51 medium irrigation projects in Solapur district were overflowing, he said.