Page 22 - The Indian EYE 090321

NORTH AmERIcAN Newsline SEPTEMBER 03, 2021 | The Indian Eye 22

rAin & FLAsh FLoods

indian americans hit hard as storm leaves

a trail of death and destruction

Several members of community drown in NJ and NY; Saffron Banquet Hall explodes

The Saffron Banquet Hall in flames after an explosion caused by flooding in NJ Many streets are still flooded and houses without power

Our Bureau cessed due to flooding.

Edison, NJ A few hours before the ex-
plosion, all the flooding that
t least 23 New Jerseyans covered nearby North Main
died after Tropical Storm Street had finally receded after
AIda caused deadly flood- it essentially cut the 10,000 res-
ing, high winds and tornadoes idents of Manville from the rest
on Wednesday evening, Gov. of New Jersey with chest-high
Phil Murphy said on Wednes- water levels on Thursday.
day. “The majority of these There have been deaths and
deaths were individuals who destruction in New York too,
got caught in their vehicles by especially in the Queens area
flooding and were overtaken by which is home to many Indian
the water,” he said at an after- In New York, several people died in basement houses as they Americans.
noon briefing in Hillsborough. got trapped in their flooded homes In a basement apartment on
Murphy said that New Jersey is 183rd Street in Hollis, Queens,
“still very much in the midst of Malathi was driving with her day, adding to the list of several as the water reached their an-
the impacts of Ida.” daughter Wednesday night structures in the area that were kles, the Ramskriets — father,
Some victims were killed by and her vehicle was swept left to burn while being sur- mother and two sons — hus-
collapsing structures, while oth- away by the flood on Route 22 rounded by floodwater from Ida. tled to get their things. Sudden-
ers were overcome by onrush- in Bridgewater. She was said A spokesperson with the ly, they heard a collapse, said
ing water. In South Plainfield, to have been on her way back borough’s Office of Emer- Dylan Ramskriet, one of the
N.J., Dhanush Reddy, 31, was from Rutgers University. gency Management said there brothers, and a gush of water
swept into the 36-inch mouth of The daughter is however safe were no injuries following the shoved them through the pitch-
a storm sewer pipe, according as she was able to swim through explosion at Saffron Banquet black apartment as the walls
to the news site Patch. Reddy’s the waters to a safe place when Hall on South Main Street. A caved in, according to a report
body was discovered on Thurs- they got out of the car. Malan- video posted on social media in the New York Times.
day in Piscataway, nearly five thi on the other hand reportedly appeared to show the after- The torrent swept his father,
miles away. could not swim to safety and she math. The banquet hall, often Dameshwar, across the home,
Malathi Kanche, 46-year- got washed away by the flood. used as a wedding venue, was as he clutched for the hand of
old who went missing in the The flooding has caused ex- seen on fire around 2 a.m. Fri- his wife, who was known as Tara.
Bridgewater Flood Waters on tensive damage to the commu- day and NJ Certified Emer- But Mrs Ramskriet and their
Wednesday, has been found nity. A restaurant exploded in gency Manager John Bentz 22-year-old son, who went by
dead. According to reports, Manville, New Jersey early Fri- said the blaze couldn’t be ac- Nick, both drowned.

www.TheIndianEYE .com