india

Updated: Sep 08, 2019 17:49 IST

Incessant rain, triggered by a low pressure area, claimed at least 4 lives in several parts of Odisha over last 24 hours, officials said on Sunday.

Additional relief commissioner Pravat Mahapatra said in Ganjam district, at least three persons, including a woman, died after being swept away in flooded rivulets and nullahs at different places while in Angul district, a youth was swept away while crossing a swollen nullah.

On Saturday morning, two youths of a village were swept away while crossing a swollen nullah. Only one youth could be saved.

Mahapatra also said torrential rains since Friday have triggered a flood-like situation in Angul, Ganjam and Koraput districts.

In Angul district, rainwater entered the sub-divisional hospital at Pallahara and patients had to be shifted to paediatric ward as there was knee-deep water in the outdoor, blood bank, OT and both female and male wards.

In Koraput, continuous rains marooned nearly 100 villages in at least 6 blocks with water flowing over roads. Following heavy rainfall in the catchment areas, four gates of Indravati and two of Muran dams were opened on Saturday.

In Keonjhar, a bridge near Sarei in Anandapur area of Keonjhar district collapsed early this morning following incessant rains since last night. Communication between Anandapur and Sarei was disrupted after the Fafudia bridge collapsed following heavy downpour. The bridge was in a dilapidated condition for long.

This is the fifth instance of heavy rain pounding the state under the influence of low pressure areas over the Bay of Bengal since August.

The Meterological department today forecast heavy downpour in western Odisha districts of Bargarh, Sambalpur and Jharsuguda.