At least 12 people died as torrential rain battered Kolkata and nearby areas ahead of a major festival, submerging streets, crippling transport, and stranding residents for hours, officials said on Wednesday.

Most of the rain, as much as 251.6 mm (9.9 inches) in 24 hours, fell during the early hours of Tuesday and was the heaviest witnessed in the city since 1988, said HR Biswas, the regional head of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Kolkata.

Police said nine people died in Kolkata, with most of the deaths due to electrocution. Two people drowned, they added.

The rains brought the state capital to a standstill, seriously hampering preparations for the upcoming Durga Puja – the biggest annual festival of Hindus in West Bengal.

Many pandals, temporary structures built with

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