The rain fury claimed 42 lives in Maharashtra, including 18 in the wall collapse incident in Mumbai’s Malad. Mumbai received the second highest July rain over a 24-hour period in 44 years after the 2005 flood. At least 21 laboureres were killed in two wall collapse incidents in Pune. Three other people were killed in rain – related incidents in other parts of the state.
Officials in Mumbai said the compound wall of BMC’s reservoir in Malad (East) collapsed, killing 18 people and trapping several others. Officials said 72 people have been admitted to several hospitals, where the condition of at least four is said to be critical.
“Pained to know about the loss of lives in Malad wall collapse incident. My thoughts are with families who lost loved ones & prayers for speedy recovery of injured. Rs 500,000 will be given to the kin of deceased,” chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted.
21 labourers killed in Pune wall collapses
At least six construction workers, including two women, were killed and four injured after the compound wall of the Sinhagad Group of Institutes in Ambegaon collapsed on the makeshift tin sheds adjoining the wall as relentless rain continued to batter Pune city. The incident is an eerie replay of the Kondhwa wall collapse that had claimed the lives of 15 labourers and their kin, including four children and two women last week. According to reports, the labourers hailed from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
More rains
The weather department has forecasted that the city and its suburbs will receive heavy to very heavy rain with isolated spells of extremely heavy rain in the coming days. Chief Minister urged people to stay indoors unless there is an emergency. Ever since the heavy rain spell began on June 28 in Mumbai, so far the total rainfall recorded has been 794.8 mm. This is a little less than 840.7mm which is the required average rains for the entire month of July.
“In a span of six hours, Mumbai recorded over 200mm rain. Comparing the amount of rainfall over the past four days, it is a clear indication of an extreme weather event for the city. It primarily indicates short bursts of extremely heavy rain,” KS Hosalikar, India Meteorological Department’s deputy director general (western region), said.
Traffic affected
Overnight heavy spells of rain inundated several areas in Mumbai, including Dadar, Sion, Matunga, Parel, Wadala and virtually halted all traffic movement, leading to huge traffic snarls across the city since daybreak. Traffic continued to move slowly across the city after several roads were waterlogged. Officers said that on many roads just one lane was fit for travel as roadsides were flooded slowing the pace of vehicular traffic.
54 flights diverted, 52 cancelled
Around 54 flights were diverted to the nearby airports and 52 flights were cancelled as heavy rains continue to lash Mumbai and its neighbouring areas, an airport official said. Amidst the heavy downpour in the city, Mumbai airport's main runway remained closed after a Spice Jet aircraft from Jaipur overshot the runway while landing. Although none of the passengers were hurt in the incident.
Train service hampered
Several Mumbai-Pune trains were cancelled, some diverted and other long-distance trains were halted at various locations en route as the central railway (CR) made frantic efforts to restore normalcy. Railway tracks were flooded at locations like Sion, Matunga and Kurla, impacting the CR's suburban service with trains running behind schedule, delaying millions of office-goers and students. After several suburban train service got suspended, the railway authorities requested state government and various other agencies to run extra buses between Mumbai and Pune for intercity travellers.
The Maharashtra government declared a holiday on Tuesday amid heavy downpour causing water logging at various places in the financial capital and surrounding metropolitan area. Heavy rains also saw a joint evacuation operation in suburban Kurla with the NDRF, Navy and fire brigade shifting some 1,000 people to temporary shelters.
