15 killed in landslide as heavy rain hits Mumbai

Mumbai: At least 15 persons have died and another six trapped in a landslide at Vashi Naka's New Bharat Nagar in Chembur and Vikhroli areas on Sunday as torrential rains pounded the city, officials said.

According to the NDRF and BMC, the landslide which occurred at around 1 a.m., crushed four to five hutments in the area. The NDRF and other teams which rushed there for rescue operations, have retrieved at least 10 bodies so far.

Another six to seven people are feared trapped under the mounds of earth and efforts are underway to rescue them .A red alert has been sounded in the city and people have been advised not to venture out in the open.

Quoting BMC, the city's municipal body, a NDTV report said that a ground-plus-one residential building collapsed in Vikhroli area in the morning hours of Sunday, killing three people.

Fifteen people have been rescued from Chembur's Bharat Nagar area and nine people from Vikroli's Surya Nagar, reported NDTV as officials saying. The report added that those injured have been moved to nearby hospitals for medical attention. Rescue operation is still on in both these areas as more people are feared to be trapped, the report further added as official saying

Massive rains pounded Mumbai- in many places measuring over 20 cms (200 mm), paralysing road and rail traffic, all through the night, on Sunday. The downpour caused heavy flooding in low lying areas of Chunabhatti, Sion, Dadar, and Gandhi Market, Chembur and Kurla LBS Road.

Visuals from news agency ANI showed cars being swept away by the undercurrents in Borivali east area.

The Western Railway suburban services were stopped completely due to flooding on tracks at most places in the city and surrounding and many outstation trains were stuck at various locations.

There was waist-deep water in some parts with water entering ground floor homes or buildings in many low-lying areas.

The downpour, which started after midnight, continued virtually non-stop and led to waterlogging or flooding in most parts of the city and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

The Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation said its rain guages recorded over a staggering 157mm (15.7 cms) in the south Mumbai, 14 cms in eastern suburbs and 13 cms in western suburbs.

The Maharashtra government, BMC and the coastal Konkan districts of Ratnagiri, Raigad, Palghar, Thane and Raigad are on high alert with the Disaster Management Units in readiness for any eventuality.

Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray, who is Mumbai Suburban Guardian Minister, said the situation is being closely monitored.

"As of 3 a.m., rainfall measured by IMD. Some places have crossed 200 mm now. Mumbai has faced an extremely intense system of precipitation accompanied by thundering. The BMC pumps are operational and officers are on ground," Thackeray said.

According to KS Hosalikar, Head SID, Climate & Research Services, Pune, said: "Extremely Heavy rainfall realized so far and severe floodings observed due to very very intense spell in a very short time."

The city will continue to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. In 2019, the city recorded 375.2 mm on July 2, the highest 24-hour rain for July since 2010.