RANCHI: A 55-year-old woman was swept away in an overflowing drain in Dumka, while in Hazaribagh, one of the gates of Chhadawa Dam was damaged as heavy rain lashed Jharkhand during the last 24 hours. The Met Department has issued an orange alert for the districts of Garhwa, Palamu and Chatra.
A yellow alert has also been issued for Latehar, Hazaribagh, Bokaro, Koderma, Giridih and Dhanbad till October 4. On Wednesday, heavy rain lashed several districts such as Koderma, Chatra, Hazaribag and Ranchi. The Dumka incident took place when the victim, identified as Savitri Devi, stepped out of her home on Wednesday night. She lived in a rented house on Gaushala Road, located near the main drain.
“Late Wednesday evening, heavy rain caused a sudden surge of water in the drain, during which, Savita stepped out of her home and fell into the drain. By the time people learnt of the incident, she had been swept away by the strong currents,” locals said. After a search through the night, her body was found trapped in a bush in the drain, they added. She, however, was immediately taken to hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Locals informed that the woman probably could not judge the distance between the drain and her home due to waterlogging, and hence, stepped into the drain.
In a separate incident in Hazaribagh, one of the gates of Chhadawa Dam was damaged due to torrential rain on Wednesday night. After receiving information about the incident, the district administration swung into action, and Sadar SDO Baijnath Kamti reviewed security arrangements. Water had been released as a precautionary measure to reduce pressure on the dam, he said.