MUMBAI: At least eight persons were killed, mostly due to lightning strikes, as heavy rains pummelled parts of Maharashtra, officials said on Sunday.
The weather department has issued a red alert for the coastal districts of Ratnagiri and Raigad and an orange alert for Palghar, Thane, and Sindhudurg, and ghat areas of Pune, Satara and Kolhapur, they said.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been stationed for rescue operations.
As per the state disaster management report, Ratnagiri recorded the highest rainfall at 88.1 mm, followed by Raigad with 65.3 mm, Sindhudurg with 43.8 mm, Thane with 29.6 mm, and Yavatmal with 27.5 mm, in 24 hours ending at 11 am.
According to authorities, eight people have lost their lives, and 10 have suffered injuries in different parts of the state.
Fatalities, mostly due to lightning strikes, were reported in Mumbai, Sindhudurg, Dhule, Nashik, Sambhajinagar, Nandurbar, and Amravati, they said.
Among major rivers in the Konkan region, the Jagbudi River in Ratnagiri district is flowing above the warning level, and Khed, Alsure, Chinchghar and Prabhuwadi villages on its banks may be affected if the water level rises, the disaster management report stated.