Rain fury claims 31 lives in Rajasthan, UP, Himachal and Punjab

Rain fury in the north left 31 people dead on Sunday across Rajasthan, Himachal, UP and Punjab, where nine from an extended family were washed away after their car sank in a stream. At least eight people were missing in the four states.
Rajasthan, especially Jaipur and Bharatpur, bore the brunt of the monsoon misery, with 17 deaths and five people missing. The five had gone for a dip at Kanota dam in Jaipur.
In Bharatpur, seven young men posing for reels near the Banganga fell into the river and lost their lives after ground beneath them caved in. Three youths drowned in a rain-fed pond in Jhunjhunu after getting stuck in sludge. In Karauli district, which witnessed a flood-like situation with record rainfall of 380 mm on Sunday, a man and his 10-year-old son were killed when a portion of a neighbour’s house collapsed on their home. Jodhpur reported five deaths, including that of a 17-year-old who drowned in Koilana lake during trekking.
The heavy rainfall caused widespread damage throughout Rajasthan. CM Bhajan Lal Sharma reviewed the situation and instructed officials to provide timely help to the affected.
In Punjab’s Hoshiarpur, nine died when their Innova was negotiating a seasonal stream at Jaijon Doaba village on the border with Himachal. According to locals, the driver apparently misjudged the depth of the stream after watching a bulldozer wade in and crossing it. A teen was rescued but two were still missing.
“The strong flow swept the Innova away. Two-three of us immediately rushed to get a rope and the bulldozer driver tried to reach them, but he had to fall back due to the swift currents. Those inside the vehicle were washed away, but a teenaged boy was pushed to the side of the stream and we pulled him out,” said Manoj Kumar Sharma, a villager. According to Sharma, he could see the others being washed away but could do nothing. In UP’s Jalaun, a woman and her seven-year-old son died after the roof of their house collapsed following rain.