Two people were killed and more than 20 are still missing after heavy rainfall led to a breach in the Tiware Dam in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district at around 9.30 pm last night. Seven down-stream villages have been flooded and at least 12 houses near the dam have been washed away.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are at the spot, which is approximately 275 kilometres from Mumbai, to carry out search and rescue operations. Additional rescue teams consisting of government officials, police and volunteers are also working at the site.
The monsoon has brought large parts of the state and its capital Mumbai to a standstill. According to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mumbai alone received an “unprecedented” 300 to 400 millimetres of rain in a 12-hour period yesterday. Heavy rainfall was also recorded in Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts, as also Nashik, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and western parts of the state.
“In the past 12 hours, the city has received an unprecedented 300 to 400 mm rain, the highest in the past decade. The existing drainage systems are unable to cope with such a heavy downpour, coupled with a high tide this afternoon,” the Chief Minister told reporters.
More than 20 people were killed early yesterday morning after the rains led to the collapse of a wall in Mumbai’s Malad East. Rescue teams led by the NDRF and Mumbai Fire Brigade mounted a desperate all-night effort to save three people trapped in debris. One of those trapped was a young girl – 12-year-old Sanchita – whose body was recovered after an unsuccessful 14-hour rescue attempt.
Three others were killed in a wall collapse incident in Kalyan in Thane district.
The Chief Minister announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh to the families of those killed in the wall crash. “Pained to know about the loss of lives in Malad Wall Collapse incidence. My thoughts are with families who lost loved ones & prayers for speedy recovery of injured,” he said on Twitter.
Mumbai airport shut its main runway late Monday night after a SpiceJet flight carrying 167 people overshot its landing and got stuck at the end of the strip. A secondary runway was pressed into service but over 200 flights have been delayed or diverted. The main runway is not likely to be operational before Thursday.
Two men died in an SUV after it was stuck in a flooded north Mumbai underpass last night.
Local and long-distance train services were paralysed by waterlogged tracks and flooded stations, leading to long delays and cancellations.
Western Railway tweeted today morning that suburban services are running normally. However, Central Railway has notified passengers of delays and short termination of certain services.
The Meteorological Department has warned of “extremely heavy” rainfall in Thane and Palghar on July 4 and 5. Private weather agency Skymet said Mumbai is at “serious risk of flooding” between July 3 and 5. “Close to 200 mm or more rain per day is likely during this period, which could hamper normal life,” it said.
