23 feared dead after dam breach in Maha

Mumbai: Twenty three persons are feared dead after a dam in Maharashtra's coastal Konkan region breached following incessant rains leading to flood-like situation in downstream villages, officials said Wednesday.

Bodies of 11 persons have been recovered so far, a police official said. The total toll would be 23, he added.

The Tiware dam in Chiplun taluka of Ratnagiri district has a storage capacity of 20 lakh cubic metre. It developed a breach late Tuesday night, a district official said.

The dam breach caused a flood-like situation in seven downstream villages, with 12 houses being swept away.

"So far, 11 bodies have been recovered," said Additional Superintendent of Police, Ratnagiri, Vishal Gaikwad. Police have moved villagers to safety, he added.

Relatives of the victims said they had asked district administration to repair the dam as they had spotted cracks in November last year.

There was an issue over the jurisdiction of which tehsil Tiware dam falls in, as Chiplun and Dapoli tehsil offices had ignored the application of the villagers, said a family member of one of the dead.

A search operation has been launched by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and state police personnel.

A police officer said rescue operations were hampered initially due to darkness and sudden influx of water.