Thousands evacuated as Kolkata flooded
3 people electrocuted
Afp, Kolkata
Three people were electrocuted and more than 2,000 evacuated after the heaviest rains in 23 years left large parts of the eastern Indian city of Kolkata under water, officials said Saturday. Residents blamed the city's poor drainage system for failing to carry away the rainwater that had turned the city into a swamp. But Mayor Bikash Bhattacharya said there was little the capital city of West Bengal state could do. "It's hard to fight nature's fury," he said. "If it rains beyond our capacity, we can merely watch the city going under water and wait for it to limp back to normal." Some of the city's roads were waist-deep in water and the rainwater had invaded homes and swanky shopping malls alike. "Life has virtually grounded to a halt as vast tracts of the city are under water for a second day with transport off the roads," said deputy police commissioner PK Chattopadhyay.
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