In 24 hours, 4 die in Mumbai rain 5 killed in lightning, one drowns as rain lashes West Bengal
NATURE FURY Several areas in city witnesses traffic snarls due to waterlogging while local trains run late; IMD predicts similar conditions over the next few days
A 15-year-old boy was among four people killed in Mumbai city and Thane district after heavy rain since Sunday evening. The rail and road traffic was disrupted during rush hours, officials said on Monday.
Two men were killed after a tree collapsed near Fashion Street in South Mumbai Sunday evening, while 18-year-old Nagendra Nagarjun died after he fell into a manhole near Evershine Nagar in Malad (west) and drowned on Monday morning.
Kiran Ghaywat, 15, died after a portion of a wall of a sewerage treatment plant at Vadolgaon, near Ulhasnagar in Thane district, collapsed on their house.
Meanwhile, a wall at an upscale Mumbai complex collapsed Monday morning in Wadala after incessant rain, crushing at least 15 parked cars. Visuals from 32-storey Lloyds estate in Wadala’s Antop Hill showed several cars stuck in debris. No one has been hurt and all residents are safe, a civic official said.
The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Mumbai office has said heavy rainfall will continue in some parts of the city and its suburbs after similar conditions over the weekend.
MUMBAI:
TRAIN DELAYS
The rains that have been lashing the city over the weekend caused a delay in services on the Western Railway due to a track failure near Bandra station.
“Local trains are running late by 5-10 minutes due to a technical problem at the Bandra station. Inconvenience is regretted,” Sanjay Mishra, divisional railway manager, said on Twitter.
The Western Railway also said trains have been delayed due to low visibility in some areas because of the rains. All mail express trains are expected to reach late at Bandra Terminus, Dadar Terminus and Mumbai Central due to the heavy rain between Virar and Surat.
TRAFFIC SNARLS
Severe water-logging was reported in parts of Goregaon, Andheri, Kandivali, Sion, Malad, Khar, Wadala, Five Gardens, Chembur and Kurla. Waist-deep water was reported at Postal Colony in Chembur and, knee-length waterlogging witnessed at Vile Parle east near Milan Subway.
Traffic was affected at Khar, Malad and Andheri subway due to waterlogging. Parts of Kurla near the Mithi River and Santacruz Chembur Link Road witnessed severe waterlogging for hours. Motorists had to drive through waterlogged roads in Dadar TT, Parel Junction and Mahim. The situation was worst in parts of western suburbs.
The traffic police have made arrangements to ensure smooth traffic, especially during peak hours, in case of heavy rainfall.
Personnel of the department have been instructed to be prepared in case of a waterlogging owing to mega projects such as Metro construction as more than 2,000 constables and 750 wardens were ordered to be out on roads.
They have also made arrangement on the Western Express Highway, SV Road and Link Road in the western suburbs.
“Commuters are suggested to keep a check on Twitter and radio channels as we will be communicating about the diversions,” said Amitesh Kumar, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
Sunday’s showers brought down temperatures even though humidity levels continued to stay high. The Met department has set 523.1mm as average rainfall that Mumbai usually records in June.
(With agency inputs)
persons were killed in lightning strikes and one drowned after heavy monsoon rains and thunderstorms lashed West Bengal Monday, a state disaster management official said.
A seven-year-old boy was killed in Purulia district’s Bhomragora village and two others were killed in Rajendrapur of Basirhat II block and Keutepara in North 24 Parganas district due to lightning strikes, he said.
A woman from Basanti block of Charpara village, and a man from Namkhana block of Uttar Chandanpiri village in South 24 Parganas were also killed in lightning strikes, the official said.
An 18-year-old person drowned in Sutunga river in Mekhliganj in Cooch Behar district during the rains, he added.
Kolkata and its neighbouring districts of Howrah, Hooghly, Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas were lashed by torrential rains that affected life in the state on Monday morning. The weather office has predicted more rains in the next 48 hours.
Heavy rains affected train services in the state. “Drivers had to slow down trains at some places. Since the rains were scattered and not uniform everywhere, the trains slowed down to different degrees in different areas,” the spokesperson of South Eastern Railway said on Monday.
Flights, however, were on schedule as winds and visibility were within the limit, said Atul Dixit, director of Kolkata airport.
Waterlogging was reported at Kolkata’s Theatre Road, Mahatma Gandhi road, Central Avenue, Ultadanga, Tollygunge, Dumdum, Syed Amir Ali Avenue. Kolkata Municipal Corporation officials said there was a high tide in Hooghly river that prevented drainage of water from the city.
Traffic slowed down to snail’s pace in the business district of Kolkata. Police sergeant Samrat Dhali said the force was trying to ensure smooth movement of vehicles in the city. In Gariahat, fewpedestriansventuredoutside amid reports of rain, lightning-related accidents across the state.
The director of meteorological office at Alipore predicted heavy to very heavy rains in Kolkata and parts of south Bengal on June 25, 26 and 27. “There may be very heavy rains over the next five days in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri districts,” he said.
The state government has alerted district administrations to be ready with relief materials in case of large scale inundation.
KOLKATA:Five