Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday expressed solidarity with the people of West Bengal after torrential rains and flooding battered Kolkata and adjoining districts, leaving at least 10 people dead and large parts of the city waterlogged.

He urged both the state and central governments to act quickly to restore normalcy.

"My thoughts are with the people of Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal as they endure the devastation caused by incessant rainfall and flooding. Heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones," Rahul wrote on X.

"I urge Congress workers to extend all possible support, and request State & Central Govts to act swiftly to help restore normalcy," he added.

Kolkata remained crippled on Wednesday as several areas, including south Kolkata, Salt Lake and parts of north and central Kolkata, were still inundated.

The downpour — the heaviest in nearly four decades — disrupted air, rail and road transport, shut educational institutions, and forced the state government to advance Durga Puja holidays.

The deluge measured 251.4 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hours, making it the city’s highest since 1986 and the sixth-highest single-day rainfall in the past 137 years.

At least nine of the deaths were caused by electrocution, officials said.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum hourly rainfall of 98 mm was recorded between 3 am and 4 am, though it clarified the event did not meet the criteria of a cloudburst, which is defined as over 100 mm in an hour across a 20–30 sq km area.

The torrential rain left arterial roads submerged, disrupted Metro and train services, and threw air travel into chaos as Kolkata struggled to resume normal life just days ahead of Durga Puja, Bengal’s biggest festival.