Mumbai Region Severely Affected By Floods, Many Lives Lost

HYDERABAD: India’s financial hub, Mumbai, and its surrounding regions are now severely affected by the destructive impact of heavy monsoon rains.

At least 13 flood-related deaths have been reported, including a house collapse in the Mumbai suburb of Mankhurd that claimed six lives on Sunday evening, local media reported.

The land route between Mumbai and Pune, a major city in Maharashtra state, was paralysed on Monday after a portion of the 13.3-kilometre stretch known as the ‘Missing Link’, built at a cost of approximately US$730 million and newly inaugurated in May on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, was damaged due to a landslide.

Several videos showed portions of the expressway submerged in water, while long lines of vehicles began to form due to traffic congestion that came to a complete halt.

Disaster management agency personnel managed to rescue 20 people, including foreign nationals, from an educational centre in Lonavala. There were also reports of hundreds of residents being rescued from various flood-hit areas in Maharashtra.

Waterlogged roads and railway tracks also affected transport services in several parts of the state.

School sessions in Mumbai will be closed on Tuesday after the India Meteorological Department issued a “red alert” following expectations of heavy rain in the city, as well as in the Thane, Raigad, Pune, and Ghats areas of Nashik, local media reported.

Air travel in Mumbai also continued to be affected by adverse weather conditions, with dozens of flight schedules disrupted since last weekend.

“Due to heavy rain, flights to and from Mumbai and Pune have been affected. We advise you to check your flight status on our website or app before heading to the airport.

“Additionally, please allow extra time for your travel as slow traffic flow may affect your ground journey to the airport,” IndiGo airline said in an advisory notice on monday.

Berita Harian