Patna, September 29: Heavy rains wreaked havoc across Bihar for the third consecutive day on Sunday, with homes, shops, hospital and offices getting flooded in several parts. The incessant rainfall has flooded roads in Patna city and boats were deployed to rescue people. "This is the first time I have seen boats plying on the water-logged roads in Patna, it is new for us," Sanket Jha, a college student of Rajendra Nagar colony, told news agency IANS. Bihar: Wall Collapses After Heavy Rains in Bhagalpur, Three Killed.

"Entire Patna is water-logged because of choked drainage. It has caused havoc in residential localities and exposed the Patna Municipal Corporation," Lakhender Mahto, a retired school teacher, said. Several state-run hospitals including the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, which is one of the largest in Patna, are flooded. Several videos on Twitter showed patients sitting on beds in flooded hospital wards.

Flooded Hospital, Shops And Roads in Bihar:

Water gushed into dozens of villages in Muzaffarpur, West Champaran, East Champaran, Darbhanga and Bhagalpur. The entire city of Muzaffarpur is flooded following torrential rainfall. According to officials, water levels in all the rivers in the state were rising leading to inundation in towns and rural areas. The waterlogged roads are hampering the supply of essential commodities and rescue operation.

The unexpected 'heavy to extremely heavy rain' has so far claimed the lives of 24 people. In Bhagalpur, three people were killed after a wall collapsed on them following heavy rains. In another rain-related incident, four people died after a tree fell on an auto-rickshaw in Khagaul. The rain has also affected the movement of trains, road traffic as well as flight operations. Twelve long route trains and several passenger trains have been cancelled.

On Saturday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered all the district collectors to continue monitoring the situation and relief measures till October 15. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), heavy rains will continue at isolated places in Bihar. The state government has also issued a 'red alert' for Patna.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 29, 2019 03:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).