NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd July, 2019) A heavy rainfall caused a breach of a dam in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, which left at least six people dead with 18 others missing, local media reported.
The incident occurred in the Ratnagiri district, some 280 kilometers (about 175 miles) from India's largest city of Mumbai, the NDTV broadcaster reported.
The breach washed away at least 12 houses and 20 vehicles near the dam. Seven villages were flooded as a result of the incident.
The state of Maharashtra is currently facing abnormal rainfall that resulted in floods in a number of settlements, including Mumbai, which recorded unprecedented 300-400 mm (12-16 inches) rain within past 12 hours. The weather is not expected to improve within next several days.
A dam breach is a rare yet extremely dangerous accident, which may potentially result in many victims. One of the most famous incidents happened on December 2, 1959, when the Malpasset Dam on the Reyran River in southern France collapsed, leaving 423 people dead. Another deadly incident occurred in 1961 in the then Soviet city of Kiev, where a dam failure resulted in a heavy mudslide that killed from 146 to 1,500 people.
