Rains, floods create havoc in UP

Lucknow, Aug 19 (IANS) Incessant rains in many parts of Uttar Pradesh have resulted in floods and rivers including the Ganga and Yamuna continue to be in spate, an official said on Friday.

More than two dozen houses were destroyed in Bahraich as the Ghagras river breached an embankment and flooded the city.

The rains and rise in river water has led to submerging of many low lying areas in Allahabad and Varanasi as the water from the Ganga has breached the danger mark, the official told IANS.

"People have been asked to move to safer places" a district official informed while adding that NDRF and PAC personnel have been deployed for rescue operations at some places.

The river has breached the danger mark in the Elgin bridge area and the Ghaghra is flowing 30 cm above the danger mark.

More than two dozen houses in the Kayampur area, including a primary school have collapsed due the floods. All the stairs at Sheetla Ghat in Varanasi have been submerged.

Three persons were killed in Varanasi on Thursday when heavy rains resulted in the collapse of a house in Mirzamurad area. The deceased belong to the same family.

Six persons of a family were killed in Mirzapur when the car they were travelling fell into an overflowing drain. The family was headed for a religious Sufi shrine - Dargah Sharif in Chunar.

The Regional Met department has predicted continued rains in eastern Uttar Pradesh while off and rains were also likely in central and western parts of the state.