RANCHI: In a tragic incident, a couple lost their lives when the roof of their dilapidated house collapsed due to heavy rain in Rasoia Dhamna Baratola village, under Barhi police station limits in Hazaribagh district.
Habib Ansari (52) and his wife Jumera Khatoon (48) died late on Sunday night while they were sleeping in their room. The roof caved in amid continuous downpour, burying them under the debris.
Villagers rushed to their aid, pulling them out from the rubble and taking them to the Barhi Sub-Divisional Hospital, where doctors declared both of them dead.
Barhi Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Johan Tudu said the couple was sleeping in one room at the time of the incident, while other family members who were in separate rooms escaped unhurt.
"The rescue and relief team reached the spot and cleared the debris to recover the bodies," the SDO said, adding that the victims' family will receive compensation as per government provisions. Both bodies have been sent for post-mortem.
Notably, Jharkhand has been witnessing continuous rainfall for the past week, severely disrupting normal life. Torrential rain, accompanied by lightning, has led to over a dozen deaths across the state, including three children, while injuring several others and leaving many stranded in flood-hit areas.
The monsoon, which entered Jharkhand on June 17, has since intensified. According to the Meteorological Centre in Ranchi, a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal is now moving across the state, resulting in widespread heavy rain.
A yellow alert has been issued for several districts including Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Ramgarh, Khunti, Lohardaga, Gumla, Saraikela-Kharsawan, East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum, and Simdega from 24 to June 26. Thunderstorms are also expected in many of these areas during the same period.