Death toll in western India dam breach climbs to 15

MUMBAI, India – Rescuers in western India recovered three more bodies on Thursday morning, raising the death toll to 15 after a small dam breached and flooded half a dozen villages following heavy monsoon rains, officials said.

Rescue teams were still searching for eight people after Tiware dam breached late Tuesday during incessant rains and swept away nearly a dozen homes, said Datta Bhadakawad, a civil administrator in Maharashtra state’s Ratnagiri district.

Datta said authorities ordered an investigation of the dam breach. The dam had developed cracks and overflowed after heavy rainfall in the coastal region.

Heavy monsoon rains in Maharashtra have led to at least 34 deaths since Monday night from collapsed walls, drownings and other causes. Dozens of others have been injured.

The worst-hit city was India’s financial and entertainment capital, Mumbai, where at least 24 people died and over 60 others were injured. Five days of rain in Mumbai disrupted flights, flooded roads and covered train tracks, though services resumed as the rain cleared on Wednesday.

The monsoon season in India brings heavy rains from June to September that cause flooding and other damage. Building and wall collapses are common as the rains weaken the foundations of poorly built structures.