Four persons, including three members of a family, were killed in a landslide and wall collapse, while two others were swept away in separate rain-related incidents as heavy showers battered Pune district on Monday, prompting authorities to rescue or shift more than 500 people to safer places.
Heavy rainfall triggered multiple landslides across the district, including one in Patan village in Maval tehsil that claimed the lives of three members of a family, officials said.
Districts officials said Nandu Tikone, Mauli Tikone and Anita Nandu Tikone were trapped after their house was buried under debris when a portion of Visapur fort collapsed in the early hours of the day amid heavy rains.
Personnel of the NDRF, SDRF, police and local rescue groups carried out a day-long search operation and recovered all three bodies, while residents of adjoining houses were shifted to safer places as a precaution, they added.
In another rain-related incident, a labourer was killed and eight others were injured after a retaining wall collapsed at Bhel Chowk in Nigdi in Pimpri Chinchwad, officials said.
In Khed tehsil, two persons riding a motorcycle were swept away near Shelu-Kurkundi village. A search operation was underway to trace them, they added.
Speaking to reporters in Pune, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar said 568 people from affected areas had been rescued or shifted to safer locations.
Pawar, also Pune guardian minister, said landslides were reported from 22 locations across the district, disrupting road connectivity at several places.
Referring to landslides near the Missing Link section of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Pawar said efforts were underway to clear the debris and restore traffic.
According to the district administration, 27 revenue circles received more than 65 mm of rainfall over the past 48 hours, with Maval recording the highest precipitation of 237.3 mm.
In Maval, the fire brigade rescued 30 employees stranded in a company bus near Talegaon, while 250 residents of Taje village were shifted to safer places as a precaution.
In Alandi, pilgrims staying in temple premises and dharamshalas were shifted to safer locations after the water level of the Indrayani river rose. Authorities also closed bridges and vulnerable routes in Alandi, Dehu and other flood-prone areas.
The district administration appealed to 'warkaris' to avoid travelling to Alandi due to the heavy rains and advised them to stay in Pune and join the 'palkhi' (palanquin) procession after it reaches the city.
Rescue teams were deployed in Mulshi, Bhor, Velhe, Khed, Purandar and other parts of the district to clear landslides, restore road connectivity and evacuate residents from vulnerable areas, officials said.
In Pune city, authorities evacuated a dilapidated building in Sadashiv Peth.
Search and rescue operations were also underway in Pimpri Chinchwad and Shirur, where efforts continued to trace missing persons, officials said.
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall was recorded in the catchment areas of the Khadakwasla reservoir chain.
"Khadakwasla dam was at 34 per cent of its storage capacity as of 4 pm on Monday and was expected to reach around 80 per cent within the next 24 hours if the current inflow continues," an official informed.
In view of the India Meteorological Department's 'orange alert' for Pune district, the administration has declared holiday for schools in Junnar, Khed, Ambegaon, Rajgad, Bhor, Maval and Mulshi tehsils on July 7 as a precautionary measure.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
