Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, May 27 (PTI) Four persons, including two minors, drowned in a nullah and a river, while another man was electrocuted to death in separate incidents in Marathwada after heavy rains lashed parts of the central Maharashtra region on Tuesday, a government official said.
The downpour caused flooding in Nanded and Beed districts besides some other pockets in Marathwada, said the revenue department official.
Cloudburst-like intense rains hit Hadgaon tehsil of Nanded district. Three people going home from their farm drowned in a flooded nullah at Varvat village under Hadgaon tehsil, according to the official.
The bodies of the trio — identified as Durga Balwant Shirke (10), Aruna Balwant Shirke (37) and Samiksha Vijay Shirke (7) — were fished out later, he said.
In the Takalgavhan area of Beed district, a person named Dnyaneshwar Parade (37) drowned in a river. In another incident, a 40-year-old man, Arun Rathod, died after receiving an electric shock, the official said.
Meanwhile, a two-hour spell of torrential rain on Tuesday afternoon wreaked havoc in Latur city, also in Marathwada, flooding streets, homes, and bringing daily life to a grinding halt. Between 2:15 pm and 4:15 pm, downpour lashed the city and surrounding tehsils, turning roads into rivers.
In many parts of the city, water levels rose dangerously and motorcycles were seen being swept away by strong currents, while many cars stalled mid-street, half-submerged in floodwaters.
Residential areas were not spared either as rainwater gushed into homes, especially in low-lying localities like Usmanpura, Mantri Nagar, Old Ausa Road, Samrat Chowk, Patel Chowk, and Dr Ambedkar Chowk.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj flyover underpass, a known flood spot in Latur city, was completely submerged.
Municipal and revenue officials launched emergency drainage operations, but the sheer volume of rains, combined with incomplete drain cleaning and poor flow in low-lying zones, intensified the crisis. Water levels ranged from 2.5 to 5 feet in several areas.
District Guardian Minister Shivrendrasinhraje Bhosale ordered immediate damage assessment, while Latur collector Varsha Thakur-Ghuge deployed revenue teams to assist with relief and rescue efforts.
In rural areas of the district, overflow from bridges disrupted traffic on the Renapur-Kamkheda and Renapur-Udgir roads.
Meanwhile, barrage gates on the Terna river in Nilanga tehsil were opened to manage rising water levels, officials said.
Following the downpour, former state minister and sitting Congress MLA from Latur City Amit Deshmukh visited flood-affected Khadgaon Road, Khadak Hanuman Temple and other areas to assess the damage and interact with residents.
After the inspection, Deshmukh directed the district administration and municipal authorities to take urgent steps to assist the affected families.
He instructed officials to immediately conduct damage assessment surveys (panchnamas) and extend necessary relief. In areas with severe damage, the legislator called for emergency assistance to be delivered without delay.
The opposition MLA appealed to former corporators, booth heads, and Congress workers across the city to proactively support affected citizens in their localities. He especially emphasized aiding women, children, and vulnerable families in crisis. PTI AW COR RSY
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