Rain fury claims 32 lives in Mumbai

Thursday 22nd July 2021 04:34 EDT
 
 

Torrential rains wreaked havoc in Mumbai on Sunday leaving 32 dead and six others injured in five separate incidents of landslides, electrocutions and a house collapse. The downpour began in the early hours of Sunday and continued through the day.

A landslide in Mahul’s Bharat Nagar claimed the most lives with19 people reported. In Vikhroli’s Surya Nagar, 10 hutment dwellers were killed as five shanties collapsed after a landslide. Both the Centre and state announced relief for the families of those killed in landslides in Mahul and Vikhroli.

One person was reported dead after a house collapse in Bhandup (W). A 26-year old man was electrocuted at an Andheri shop in the morning and another 21-year old man was electrocuted at Kandivli (E) after he came into contact with a submerged electric box. He was trying to move his belongings to a safer place during the downpour. Meanwhile in Nalasopra, a four-year-old boy is feared to have fallen into a manhole that was left open to drain out rainwater.

“Saddened by the loss of lives due to wall collapses in Chembur and Vikhroli in Mumbai,” PM Narendra Modi announced Rs 200,000 from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund to the next of kin of those who died in the landslides and Rs 50,000 to those who were injured.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray announced Rs 500,000 ex gratia each to the families of the deceased and free treatment for the injured. He asked authorities to ensure that medical facilities continue unhampered at jumbo Covid centres.

The Mumbai airport was shut for close to five hours early on Sunday morning and some flights were diverted to other cities. Road and rail traffic was also hit. Power outages were reported in several areas for as long as eight hours. Parts of the city were waterlogged with water entering homes in both the eastern and western suburbs. Some parts of the city did not receive drinking water after flood-water entered the Bhandup water purification complex and operations were shut down.


comments powered by Disqus



to the free, weekly Asian Voice email newsletter