Mumbai: Three persons died in different parts of Mumbai as heavy rains continuing in the city since yesterday. The police said a 15-year-old boy was swept away by strong water current in the Poisar creek in suburban Kandivli while two others were killed in a wall collapse in Thane. With rains showing no signs of abating in the early part of the day, the authorities ordered all schools to be shut as a precautionary measure. This morning, several low-lying areas like Milan Subway, Hindmata Cinema and some parts of downtown Mumbai were submerged. With water logging coinciding with high tides from 11 am to 2 pm, the authorities were on edge. However, the rain gods relented and the downpour was reduced to a drizzle by the noon.

Local train services, which were thrown out of gear in the early part of the day, were restored though trains were running 10-15 minutes late, officials of the Western and Central Railways said. Railway lines in a number of areas like Ghatkopar, Kurla Vidyavihar, Matunga and Sion were submerged. The met department said 142.8 mm of rainfall was recorded in its suburban observatory at Santa Cruz while South Mumbai received 200 mm till the morning. Usually, the suburbs receive more rain than the city. Several flights were also disrupted in the morning due to poor visibility, officials said. However, services were restored later in the day though all flights were facing delays.

Early in the day, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation advised residents to stay indoors. Deputy municipal commissioner Vilas Vaidya, who heads the disaster management cell, said people should not leave home till 1 pm unless necessary. Meanwhile, reports from the state police said traffic on the Mumbai-Pune expressway had been disrupted due to heavy landslide in Khandala. However, the link had not been cut off and services were being maintained, it said.

Courtesy: Tribune News Service