At least 12 people have died after record rainfall inundated Kolkata and surrounding areas, flooding streets, crippling transport and disrupting preparations for the city’s biggest annual festival, officials said on Wednesday.
The India Meteorological Department reported that 251.6 millimetres of rain fell within 24 hours, most of it during the early hours of Tuesday. It was the heaviest downpour the city has experienced since 1988, said HR Biswas, the regional head of the department in Kolkata.
Police confirmed nine deaths in the city, most caused by electrocution, while two others drowned.
The deluge brought Kolkata to a standstill just days before Durga Puja, West Bengal’s most significant Hindu festival. Temporary bamboo structures and clay idols erected for the celebrations were damaged across the city.
Floodwaters rose to waist level in several neighbourhoods, leaving vehicles stranded and forcing residents to wade through submerged streets. Transport networks were thrown into chaos, with flights and trains cancelled or delayed, while power outages left many areas in darkness for hours.
“I got stranded in my hotel as my flight got canceled and the roads were all waterlogged,” said Ranjan Panda, a water and climate expert.
Authorities deployed pumps to clear waterlogged streets and railway tracks, while relief operations including food distribution and emergency services were launched.
The weather office warned of further rainfall across West Bengal and eastern India in the coming days due to a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal.
The state government ordered schools and colleges closed on Wednesday and Thursday, ahead of the official festival holidays beginning Friday. Officials said conditions were expected to improve by Wednesday evening but urged residents in low-lying areas to remain cautious as water levels recede.
“This should not have happened after four hours of rain. West Bengal is not in a good condition,” said Sandip Ghosh, a Kolkata resident.
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