An elderly couple died after the mud wall of their hut collapsed while they were asleep in West Midnapore’s Jogardanga early on Thursday.

The deceased have been identified as Dulal Bal, 65 and Sadhana Bal, 60.

Sources said the bodies were recovered from the rubble after over an hour-long rescue led by neighbours. “We tried to rush them to hospital immediately but it was too late,” said an eyewitness.

Continued rainfall owing to a trough of low depression over the Bay of Bengal has contributed to at least 15 deaths in West Midnapore over the last week. Jogardanga had witnessed inundation last Friday.

Police said the bodies had been sent to Midnapore Medical College for post-mortem.

In neighbouring Keshpur, Sushama Dolai, 32, a homemaker was killed in a lightning strike late on Wednesday.

“The recent incessant rainfall has killed 15 people across the district in the past one week. We are looking at government schemes under which we can possibly compensate the kin of the deceased,” Ajit Maity, West Midnapore zilla parishad deputy chief, said.

Several West Midnapore rivers including Shilabati, Jhumi and Kangsabati are flowing over the danger level. This has led to inundation of areas such as Ghatal, Birsingha, Ajabnagar, Chandrakona and Keshpur for the past several days.

On the direction of district magistrate Rashmi Kamal 127 boats have been sent to the flood-affected areas to rescue people and distribute relief materials, including water pouches.

Minister of water resources investigation and development, Manas Bhunia, who visited the flood-affected Keshpur and Chandrakona, said: “Every year at least eight blocks in East and West Midnapore get flooded. People die, crops get damaged, livestock are killed and houses collapse. This has become a ritual.”