Weather woes: Commuters wading across a waterlogged street after heavy monsoon rains in Kolkata. — AFP
At least 12 people died as heavy rain lashed the eastern Indian city of Kolkata and surrounding areas ahead of a major festival, flooding streets, disrupting transport and leaving residents stranded for hours, officials said.
Most of the rain, as much as 251.6mm in 24 hours, fell during the early hours of Tuesday and was the heaviest witnessed in the city since 1988, said HR Biswas, the regional head of India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Kolkata.
