20 killed as heavy rains ravage Rajasthan

At least 20 people were killed in rain-related incidents across Rajasthan since Saturday, while five youths were washed away by the gushing water of Kanota Dam in Jaipur, officials said on Monday, 12 August.

A search operation was launched but to no avail till late Sunday night, officials said.

Heavy rain in Jaipur, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, and Dausa left the streets waterlogged on Sunday.

It also prompted district administrations to announce the closure of schools in Jaipur, Jaipur Rural, Dausa, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Gangapur and Bharatpur on Monday.

The Meteorological department on Sunday issued an alert of heavy to very heavy rain in some districts of the state in the next 24 hours.

Also, seven boys died of drowning in the Banganga river near Srinagar village of ​​Bharatpur district.

A rescue operation is underway to trace the missing people, they said.

Two youths, identified as Sitaram (21) and Deshraj, died after they along with their motorcycle were swept away on the embankment of the Mashi river in Phagi, Jaipur rural.

Another man Banwari (25) died after falling into a drain in Madhorajpura while one Saddam (32) died after falling into an anicut in Dudu.

In Beawar, Ashok Kumar (23) died after slipping into a pond while Bablu (16), a resident of Pakhariyawas, died after drowning while bathing in a pond.

In Kekri, one Gulgaon died after being swept away. In Karauli, a man and his son died after the beams of a house collapsed. Also, a 12-year-old girl was swept away in Barapura village.

In Banswara, one Vikas Sharma, a nursing student from Dausa, died after drowning in the Kadelia waterfall.

In Jhunjhunu, three people drowned while bathing in a pond in Mehrana village. All of them were residents of Sanwlod village.

The deceased were identified as Anuj Meghwal, 22, Bulkesh, 21, and Anuj Kumar, 20, police said.

Chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma meanwhile called an emergency meeting in Jaipur on Sunday to review the disaster management situation.

In a post on social media platform X on Sunday, he said, "Today, I held a meeting of officials in the chief minister's office regarding the heavy rains in the state and gave necessary instructions to strengthen all the arrangements related to disaster management immediately."

"I request all the people of the state to stay away from water bodies and waterlogged areas, maintain distance from electric poles and electric wires during rain, avoid using basements built in buildings during rain, (and) pay special attention to the warnings and safety measures issued by the Disaster Management Department," he said.

"I pray to God for a safe and prosperous life for all the people of the state," he added.

Moderate to heavy rainfall is likely to occur at several places in the state during the period.

According to the Meteorological Centre in Jaipur, from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm on Sunday, 63.2 mm of rainfall was recorded in Jaipur, 31.5 mm in Karauli, 14.2 mm in Alwar, 9 mm each in Mount Abu and Sikar, and 6.5 mm in Fatehpur.