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Floods kill 10 in West Bengal

     Kolkata: Tens of thousands of people were marooned by flooding in West Bengal on Sunday after four days of torrential rains, that killed at least 10 people, said officials. The un-seasonal rains came after the June-September monsoon, which triggered severe flooding in places like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Assam. Rains also hit life in Kolkata, which remained flooded as the city's more than two centuries old drainage system failed to cope with the rising waters. People said they were facing problems commuting due to the continuous rains for the last four days. "We are facing a lot of problems. Water is stagnating everywhere. People are having problems travelling. They have not been able to come out of theirs houses. The Calcutta Municipal Corporation is doing nothing to prevent water logging in drains and puddles. Prices of commodities of daily use have also risen," said Vikram, a local. "We are facing a lot of problem due to the continuous rain, specially while travelling to and from office. Prices of commodities have gone up and we are having problems shopping also," said Mohammad Sahil, echoing similar sentiments. Officials said at least 10 people had died in the state due to wall collapses and electrocution, following the rains, and some 50,000 people remained cut off by the floods. Relief officials warned the situation could get worse for hundreds of thousands of people living in the Sunderbans region, where two rivers were close to bursting their banks. Cars and motorcycles floated in waist-deep water in Kolkata, while people waded their way around the city and residents of some low-lying areas used boats. Many shops and business establishments remained closed and road traffic was also thin. During the monsoon season, floods and mudslides killed more than 1,000 people in western India. Mumbai was brought to a standstill for four days when a record 94 cm of rain fell in 24 hours.