Gadchiroli, India: Gadchiroli district experienced heavy rainfall on Monday, leading to floods in river and disrupting traffic on multiple roads. The Nagpur Regional Centre of the Indian Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for the next 24 hours and a yellow alert for the following 48 hours. Resident Deputy Collector Sunil Suryavanshi urged residents to stay caution as more heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning are expected.

Flooding occurred in the Parlkota River near Bhamragarh, prompting the immediate evacuation of around 50 families as water entered homes and shops. The town has been cut off from surrounding areas due to submerged roads, including Mulchera-Ashti, Allapalli-Bhamragarh, and Allapalli-Sironcha, halting all traffic.

In a near-tragic incident, two men—Nitin Kale (30) from Todsa and Tirupati Chaple (30) from Pandewahi—were swept away while riding a motorbike from Bhamragarh to Etapalli. They were caught in the sudden rise of water at Wateli Nalla near Tadgaon. Fortunately, both managed to grab onto a tree branch and were rescued by nearby citizens.

In the past 24 hours, the district received an average of 47.2 mm of rainfall, with Bhamragarh recording the highest at 174.5 mm. Rainfall in other talukas included Etapalli (79.02 mm), Aheri (69.05 mm), and Gadchiroli (42.8 mm).

In a separate incident, a house in Desaiganj taluka's Kondhala village was struck by lightning early Monday morning. The house, owned by Zingar Meshram (65), caught fire, destroying household items worth over Rs 2 lakh. The family escaped unharmed after being alerted by a neighbor. However, clothes, furniture, a two-wheeler, and other belongings were lost in the blaze.