Kolkata Rain LIVE Updates: CESC denies responsibility for electrocution deaths

Power utility CESC on Tuesday night distanced itself from electrocution deaths during Kolkata’s waterlogging, saying the fatalities were unrelated to its distribution network. Of the eight deaths reported, five were due to faulty internal wiring in homes and a factory, two involved lamp posts “not owned by us,” and one was linked to a traffic signal kiosk panel, a CESC spokesperson said. The company added that power restoration is ongoing and depends on receding floodwaters. West Bengal Chief Minister expressed grief and called for compensation and employment support for victim families, blaming CESC for failing to ensure public safety.

Torrential rains wreaked havoc in Kolkata on Tuesday, disrupting normal life and flight operations. More than 90 flights were cancelled and over 90 delayed at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport due to heavy downpour and poor visibility. The city remained waterlogged, with vehicles stranded and Metro services suspended on affected stretches. At least ten people died, nine from electrocution. Southern and eastern Kolkata faced the worst impact, with Garia recording 332 mm and Jodhpur Park 285 mm of rainfall. The India Meteorological Department warned of continued heavy showers in the region over the next 24 hours.

Heavy overnight rainfall, continuing into Tuesday morning, brought Kolkata to a standstill, leaving families to navigate knee-deep water, stranded vehicles, and flooded streets. At least 10 people lost their lives, nine due to electrocution, as the city and nearby districts faced the heaviest rains in nearly four decades. The deluge crippled transportation services and prompted the state government to close schools and move Durga Puja holidays forward.

Overnight heavy rainfall in Kolkata on Tuesday left streets waterlogged and disrupted internet, affecting normal operations at the Calcutta High Court.

Limited Hearings Amid Flooded Streets

The secretaries of the three lawyers’ associations requested the Acting Chief Justice to take up only cases where all parties were present, allowing pending matters to retain their place on the list. Practicing lawyer Uday Shankar Chatterjee said, “There was more than knee-deep water on the roads and fearing that my car might get stuck, I returned.” Advocate Arun Kumar Mohanty added that even his juniors could not reach court. Staff attendance was also low due to disrupted bus and train services.

Heavy rains have claimed 10 lives in West Bengal, reported IANS. Of these, 8 deaths were reported in Kolkata, 1 in Amtala (South 24 Parganas), and 1 in North 24 Parganas.

In a post on X, CM Mamata said, “Kolkata city and some adjoining areas have been devastated by a sudden natural disaster. Our colleagues and officials are working tirelessly everywhere to restore normalcy. The unilateral release of water by the DVC had already left the state flooded, with rivers and canals overflowing.”

“Added to this, huge volumes of water are coming through the Farakka Barrage from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where lack of dredging has worsened the problem. On top of it all came this sudden, torrential rainfall. I am monitoring the situation closely through the Mayor, Chief Secretary, and other officials, and issuing necessary directions,” she added.

She said that as of now, “saving lives is the top priority”.

“We deeply mourn those who died due to electrocution in Kolkata today because of CESC’s negligence. No compensation can ever replace a life, but we will ensure a job for one family member of each victim. I have also spoken to CESC and asked them to provide compensation to the bereaved families. Along with our heartfelt condolences, this compensation is their right,” she added.

Wes Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announces holiday for schools and colleges in Kolkata for two days.

” I have announced that from today all government schools will remain closed. Colleges and universities will remain shut for the next two days. Private offices should operate on a work-from-home basis for the next two days, and government offices will also follow work-from-home,” she said.

A Durga idol gets stuck in Ballygunge near Bijon Setu as roads remain waterlogged following last night’s heavy rain in the area.

At least eight people died due to electrocution as torrential overnight rain – among the heaviest in nearly four decades- left Kolkata paralysed on Tuesday, reported PTI.

Air, rail and road transport have been severely hit as around 30 flights were cancelled. The West Bengal government has declared Puja holidays two days in advance.

IMD data said with an average of 251.4 mm overnight downpour, this was the third-highest September month rainfall, which battered the city in nearly 50 years. Some areas received as high as 332 mm of rains in just a few hours. The continuous downpour caused massive flooding across the city, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and severely affecting transport services across roads, railways and flights.

Kolkata: On heavy rain and waterlogging in several parts of Kolkata, West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja says, “There is waterlogging in some parts of Kolkata and some people have lost their lives as well. Kolkata Municipal Corporation is doing its work.”

“CM Mamata Banerjee is taking all possible steps to overcome this situation. BJP is just opposing the state government on social media. When there was waterlogging in Delhi and Gurugram, there was no action from the BJP. Today, they are speaking a lot about the situation in Kolkata. We condemn politicisation of such an issue…” she added.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has postponed all scheduled Puja inaugurations in Kolkata today to personally monitor disaster relief and administrative work. The Kolkata inaugurations will now take place tomorrow. Pujas in districts unaffected by the disaster will proceed as planned, with the Chief Minister inaugurating them virtually from her residence

BJP slams Mamata government over Kolkata floods.

In a post on X, it shared the visuals of waterlogged area and said, “See the condition of Kolkata around Science City. This is one of the state’s highly acclaimed and posh regions that houses a few organizations. “

” If such is the condition of civil lives, how can anyone think about living a sustainable life in Kolkata? How can any organization further have the intent to invest? This is a breakdown of civil order,” it added.

Kolkata Airport official said that operations at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport were severely affected on Tuesday as bad weather led to the cancellation of 30 flights and delays to 42 others.

No relief for commuters in Kolkata despite hours after heavy rain. Buses, cars seen wading through water as roads remain waterlogged leading to slow vehicular movement in certain areas.

A boy relaxes on a mattress and plays in the water as Kolkata streets remain flooded after heavy rainfall. Here is the visual from the area near Rabindra Sadan.

A local said that he never saw anything like the present situation in Kolkata in the past 8–10 years. “I have never seen anything like this. This time, bikes, people and other vehicles are getting submerged in water…” he told IANS.

Talking to the media, Maharaj Bistamanand of Bharat Sevashram Sangh, said, “The entire area is flooded and even the shelter is filled with water… Despite the challenges, we are committed to providing assistance. The kitchen was submerged, so we moved it to another place and from there, we are preparing and distributing food…”

A fire broke out at a shop in the waterlogged Mandeville Gardens area of Gariahat, Kolkata, on Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters are currently battling the blaze. State minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim also visited the site to oversee the situation.

Kolkata was brought to a standstill on Tuesday after heavy overnight rain, which killed at least seven people from electrocution, according to the news agency PTI. Large parts of the city were flooded, public transport was disrupted and traffic was badly affected.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the rainfall “unprecedented” and criticized poor maintenance of the Farakka barrage and mistakes by the private power company CESC. She urged people to stay indoors for safety.

Banerjee said, “I have never seen rain like this. It is very sad that 7–8 people died from exposed or unattended electric wires. Their families should get jobs from CESC, and we will do everything possible to help.”

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has blamed Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation Limited (CESC), flagship company of RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group for the mess in Kolkata. It said the lapses caused by the company and poor dredging has led to sudden flooding in the city.

She described the downpour as “unprecedented” and lashed out at poor dredging of Farakka and “lapses” by power utility CESC. She has urged residents to stay indoor.

As the rain-led chaos troubles Kolkata, IndiGo has issued a travel advisory for passengers. The airline stated that some routes across Kolkata were affected due to heavy rain in the city. It said that heavy rains led to temporary blocks and diversions on some routes.

Kolkata airport officials said only one flight operating between Pune and Kolkata was diverted to Bhubaneswar at 3 am, and all other flights were operating normally. However, the airline has asked the passengers to check the status of their flight before going to the airport.

“Some routes across Kolkata have been impacted by heavy rain, leading to temporary blocks or diversions. We recommend planning your journey accordingly, and leave with a bit of extra time in hand. Please keep a tab on your flight status via our app or website before heading out”. “Our teams are working proactively to reduce any inconvenience and help you on your way. Thank you for your patience. We are here with you, every step of the way”, the advisory said.

Overnight continuous rainfall has led to severe waterlogging around Sector 5 in the city. Bus and auto services have been severely hit. Furthermore, the road near Sector Five College intersection continues to remain closed after trees fell during the downpour.

India Meteorology Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorm and gusty winds on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in Kolkata. The weather is likely to ease from Friday.

According to IMD, heavy showers over Kolkata’s Alipore between 0830 Hrs IST on Sept 22 to 0830 Hrs IST on Sept 23 led to a total of 251.4 mm rainfall in the region.

On overnight heavy rain in Kolkata, AITC IT & Social Media Wing General Secretary Nilanjan Das said, “Last night, a sudden cloudburst caused torrential rain, leaving many houses inundated and roads waterlogged. Several families are facing hardships, but one has to realise this was a natural calamity. By blaming the state government or the corporation, one overlooks the fact that no administration can prevent the havoc of a cloudburst.”

Heavy rain has triggered chaos in Kolkata and as a result, Calcutta University (CU) and Jadavpur University (JU) have suspended all academic activities on Tuesday.

In a statement, the CU Registrar said due to heavy overnight rain and waterlogging in different parts of Kolkata, the scheduled semester exams in different subjects for Tuesday (September 23) have been cancelled.

“The dates when the exams will be held will be announced later,” the notice added. The Jadvapur University said that due to heavy downpour, all academic activities are being suspended for the day.

Very heavy overnight rainfall in Kolkata has triggered widespread flooding, bringing traffic, public transport, and daily activity to a grinding halt in the city.

Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim is monitoring the situation from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Central Control Room.

Air India has issued travel advisory as heavy rain lashed Kolkata.

In a post on X, the airline said, “Persistent and heavy rain may impact flights to and from Kolkata today. Please check your flight status at https://airindia.com/in/en/manage/flight-status.html before leaving for the airport and allow extra time for your journey due to traffic and waterlogging.”