Rain wreaks havoc in NCR, more predicted

NOIDA/GHAZIABAD/DELHI: Heavy rain through Wednesday night and Thursday morning wreaked havoc in parts of Noida, Greater Noida Ghaziabad and east Delhi, leading to a road cave-in, building and wall collapses, waterlogging in colonies and inside buildings, and long traffic jams in various parts of the National Capital Region.

A 14-year-old girl was killed after a portion of a house collapsed in Shaheed Nagar in Ghaziabad, while another minor boy sustained injuries after a wall collapsed in Khoda. In another incident, a 40-year-old man died after suspected electrocution inside the Shipra Suncity housing complex in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad.

In Vasundhara’s Sector 4C, 64 families living in Vartalok Society evacuated the building in panic after the cave-in -- which led to a crater nearly 20 feet deep and 35 feet long -- prompted fears of structural damage to the apartment complex.

Gautam Budh Nagar recorder 33mm of rain on Thursday and Ghaziabad 23.2mm.

According to the meteorological department data, the rainfall in Gautam Budh Nagar was 667% higher than normal and in Ghaziabad it was 205% higher than normal for a single day during July.

Meteorological department officials have forecast more heavy showers on Friday due to two rain-triggering systems – cyclonic circulation and the creation of a low-pressure area -- in the region. The intensity of the rain will decrease on Saturday, they said.