Six-month-old baby boy washed away by rainwater in Kolkata, dies

Kolkata: A six-month-old baby boy, who was sleeping with his family on a footpath, died on Friday after being washed away by rainwater in the city.

Heavy monsoon rains have been lashing the city since on Thursday, causing water-logging in large stretches and affecting normal life.

The baby boy was washed away from his parents who stay on the footpaths in central Kolkata and was found lying unconscious on Bidhan Sarani and Tarak Pramanik Road crossing, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said.

"He was declared dead when rushed to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital," he added.

During inquiry, the police found that the baby's parents live on the footpath in nearby Muktarambabu Street, he said.

"The unfortunate incident happened sometime around 3 am while the family was sleeping. The baby was carried away by overflowing rainwater and was found by our officers this morning. No foul play was found as yet," the officer said.

Regional Meteorological Centre Director GC Debnath told that total rainfall of 144 mm was recorded in the city in the past 24 hours. The rainfall will decrease on Friday and Saturday onwards it will weaken further, Debnath said.

The worst affected areas due to overnight heavy rain include Behala, Jadavpur, Alipore Body Guard lines, Rashbehari Avenue, Golf Green, Tiljala, Belgachia, Dumdum, Rajarhat, Thanthania, CR Avenue and College Street.

Amherst Street, a low lying area in central Kolkata was water-logged even hours after the rain stopped. Kolkata Municipal Corporation's Member of Mayor-in-Council Tarak Singh (Sewerage & Drainage) said rainwater is being pumped out using 340 pumps at 73 pumping stations in various parts of the city.

Several schools declared the day as a holiday and those which remained open recorded thin attendance. "We (KMC) are also using another 450 portable pumps to flush out all rainwater from the streets," Singh said.

At Sealdah and Howrah stations, local trains were delayed while a few got cancelled due to waterlogging on tracks, Railway officials said. Later, after rains stopped and water receded, train services were normalised, they said.

According to reports from Barrackpore in adjoining North 24 Parganas district, heavy water-logging was reported from many areas in Panihati, Kamarhati, New Barrackpore and North Dum Dum.

Officials said around 1,000 people were shifted from low-lying areas as their houses were inundated with rainwater.