As many as 436 people have lost lives in Maharashtra during the Southwest monsoon between June and September this year.
This includes the 15 deaths reported during the last three days due to heavy downpour and floods triggered by Cyclone Gulab.
In the wake of the rain and floods situation since the weekend, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday held a review meeting and asked authorities to extend relief.
From June 1 till date, as many as 436 persons have lost their lives in the state. The bodies of six persons are yet to be found.
“This monsoon, we have been hit by vagaries of nature back to back. So far, 436 persons have lost their lives. Of this, 196 deaths have been reported because of lightning strikes. Rest are incidents of floods, house collapses, landslides, drowning,” state relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar said on Wednesday.
According to him, 71 people have lost their lives so far in September.
During the Southwest monsoon period, the state has been hit by a series of incidents including the July mega-floods in the coastal Konkan belt and Western Maharashtra and heavy rainfall in Marathwada, Vidarbha and North Maharashtra triggered by Cyclone Gulab.
Earlier, towards the end of May, the state was hit by Cyclone Tauktae, during which the ONGC’s Mumbai High offshore was struck resulting in sinking of barges and loss of 86 lives.
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