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Death toll of Western India flood hits 850
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-07-30 15:23

The death toll from western India's worst flooding in nearly a century rose close to 850 on Saturday as rescue workers pulled out more dead bodies from landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains, officials said.

Authorities braced for further floods as the weather office forecast more rains in the next two days in the western state of Maharashtra and its capital, Bombay.

India's financial hub ground to a near-halt earlier in the week after two days of torrential downpours. "The situation is improving in Bombay. But increased rainfall activity from this morning is worrying us," a relief official said.

Flights out of Bombay airport -- India's busiest -- were suspended after an Air India Boeing 747 skidded off the wet runway as it landed from the city of Bangalore, officials said. None of the 333 passengers on board were hurt.

"The runway is blocked at the moment. No landing is taking place," said Air India spokesman Jitendra Bhargava. "All passengers are safe. They have all been taken off the aircraft and taken to the terminal building."

In Bombay, city authorities and health workers continued to clear garbage and carcasses of animals and sprayed insecticide to prevent breeding of mosquitoes as stagnant flood waters remained in some areas.



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