Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister has sought the Army's help for flood rescue and relief work.
At least 17 people have died since yesterday across Madhya Pradesh in the devastation caused by 72 hours of continuous rain and resulting floods, officials in Bhopal said today.
The authorities have enlisted the help of the Army and sought helicopters for rescuing marooned people.
In Satna, over 4,500 people were rescued even as the Tamas, Simrawal and Chhoti Tamas rivers in the district were flowing close to the danger mark.
Seven members of an artisan's family died and three were seriously injured this morning in Baniyani Ghat area of Rahatgarh in Sagar district when their house collapsed due to continuous rain, police said. The collapse resulted in the death of Manu Rani (55), Vikas (18), Vipin (13), Sanjana (10), Kallu (30), Sarla (25) and Tamanna, who was just one-and-a-half-years old. The three injured persons are admitted to hospital, where their condition is stated to be serious.
In Maihar town in Satna district, a new three-storey building where the families of construction workers were living collapsed today amid heavy rain, burying many people under the rubble, police said. Four people have so far been pulled out of the debris and efforts are being made to rescue the rest, the police said.
Interestingly, the building was being constructed by the Madhya Pradesh Housing Board.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the victims' families. Earlier in the day, Mr Chouhan held a meeting with state officials to review the situation and instructed that waters from dams should not be released without warning the people living downstream. The government has also set up relief camps for people in flood-hit areas, Mr Chouhan said.
Meanwhile, heavy rain in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh has caused floods with many major rivers across the state flowing above the danger mark.
Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand are worst affected parts of the state.
The Uttar Pradesh government has said it is taking relief measures in all affected areas.
The Met has forecast that rain or thundershowers are expected in isolated parts of the state.