Kolkata: An unprecedented pre-dawn rain, that initially appeared to be a cloudburst following a low-pressure, flooded the city within three hours Tuesday, claiming eight lives, mostly due to electrocution, and threw life out of gear totally ahead of Durga Puja festival. All the fatalities occurred in different parts of south Kolkata and its adjoining areas. At many places, knee to waist deep water and partially submerged cars and vehicles, parked on the roads, were a common scene. In a bulletin, it stated that the city witnessed the highest rainfall, 185.6 mm, between 2.30 am and 5.30 am. The RMC however stated, “Maximum highest hourly rainfall observed as 98 mm between 03:00 to 04:00 hours IST of 23 September, 2025.