Tokyo, July 30 : Apple will help the flood-affected Japanese people by undertaking free repair of iPhones, iPads, iPods, Mac computers, Apple Watches and Apple's displays damaged in the torrential rains that hit the western part of the country earlier this month.

If the gadgets were impaired directly by the rain disasters and still fixable, individual users can apply for the free service, The Japan Times reported on Monday.

The Cupertino, California-headquartered tech giant plans to accept requests for free repair of its products until the end of September. The offer is only for individual users, not for companies or stores using Apple devices for their businesses.

The users also must be residents of municipalities being supported by the central government under the Disaster Relief Act, the report said.

The torrential rain in western Japan caused disasters including floods and mudslides and killed at least 224 people, according to Kyodo News. Thousands of people were still being evacuated as of last week.

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Kolkata (PTI): A day before the counting of votes for the West Bengal assembly elections, two persons were arrested on Sunday for allegedly being involved in a firing incident outside the residence of a BJP leader in North 24 Parganas district, police said.

BJP leader Kundan Singh lodged a police complaint, alleging that a few gunmen fired at his house in the Noapara constituency around Saturday midnight.

Based on the CCTV footage, the two accused were apprehended, a senior officer said.

BJP's Noapara candidate Arjun Singh, in a post on social media, claimed that around 12.05 am, two armed miscreants arrived on a motorcycle at the residence of Kundan Singh, a BJP functionary and secretary of the Barrackpore organisational district, with an "intent to kill him".

According to the BJP leader, the accused are residents of Garulia and are known criminals.

Their names as offenders had been submitted to the Election Commission, he said.

The police officer did not specify whether the two arrested persons were the same individuals named by Arjun Singh.

According to the complaint, one round of firing took place outside Kundan Singh's house, triggering panic in the area.

The BJP candidate also questioned the role of the police, claiming that one of the accused had been detained by the police on the polling day but was later released in the evening.

The Noapara assembly seat went to the polls on April 29.

Several BJP leaders alleged that attempts were being made to create an atmosphere of fear ahead of the counting and weaken the organisation of the opposition parties.

The counting of votes will take place on May 4. Polling for the West Bengal assembly elections was held on April 23 and April 29.

The BJP urged the Election Commission to intervene immediately to ensure peaceful counting.

TMC candidate Somnath Shyam rubbished Arjun Singh’s allegation, claiming that the BJP nominee had orchestrated the firing incident to divert attention from imminent defeat.

“Arjun Singh knows all the gangsters in the Barrackpore belt. Everyone knows about his links with the underworld. Let the police investigate the incident,” Shyam said.