Atleast six killed, many missing as Tiware dam breaches in rain hit Maharashtra

Ratnagiri (Maharashtra): At least six persons were killed and another 25 missing after a small dam burst near Bhendewadi hamlet after a torrential downpour late on Tuesday night. .

According to News Agency ANI, six bodies had been recovered after the Tiware dam in Ratnagiri district breached due to heavy rain.

#WATCH: Tiware dam in Ratnagiri was breached earlier today. 6 bodies have been recovered till now. Rescue operations continue. 12 houses near the dam also washed away. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/mkgLaruaau

— ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2019

The incident happened around 9:30 pm, when the Tivare Dam, which had started overflowing after heavy rain, breached soon after, Resident Deputy Collector Datta Bhadakawad told IANS.

As water gushed out creating a flood-like situation, at least seven villages downstream were inundated and a dozen houses in Bhendewadi with 14 families which were washed away.

The affected villages are: Daadar, Akle, Riktoli, Ovali, Kalkavne, Nandivase, with an estimated total population of around 3,000, in a hilly region, around 90 km from the district headquarters.

So far, the police have recovered six bodies from the water and a search is on for the remaining still untraced. Around 20 vehicles have also been washed away in the dam water.

Teams of the fire brigade and NDRF from Pune and Sindhudurg, besides local volunteers, have launched rescue operations. Top civil and police officials also rushed to the spot.

The dam was built in 2000 and people in the area claim they had informed the district authorities of its leakage two years back but no repairs were carried out.

Large parts of Maharashtra have been battered with heavy rain in the past five days, and on Tuesday at least 45 people were killed in rain-related incidents across the state.

Updated on: July 03, 2019 at 11:26 IST  |  Published on: July 03, 2019 at 10:02 IST

(With Inputs From IANS)