Mumbai rain havoc: Many people died due to chawl accidents, electrocution and falling of trees. Schools closed and flights and trains affected. Between IMD Red Alert and Orange, know why the entire city is on high alert?
Mumbai: When clouds guard Mumbai, the city famous for its speed gets scared. But this time the ferocity shown by the monsoon has brought the entire Mumbai to its knees. Nearly 200 mm of water that rained from the sky in just 12 hours has exposed the city’s drainage system and claims. There is a view of the sea on the roads, the railway tracks are submerged, and the wheels of the planes flying in the sky have stopped. But this is not just a story of waterlogging, this heavenly calamity has ruined many happy families in Mumbai and its surrounding areas forever. Amidst this orgy of death, the entire administrative machinery is on high alert.
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That horrifying scene at midnight: When the multi-storey chawl collapsed like a deck of cards
On Sunday evening (July 5) at around 8:30 pm, a scream echoed in the Mankhurd area which shook the entire area. Unable to withstand the pressure of continuous torrential rains, a large portion of a ground-plus-three-storey chawl suddenly collapsed like a house of cards. Due to the collapse of this dilapidated building, two-three huts present below it have also been turned into a pile of debris.
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Live suspense of rescue: Mumbai Fire Brigade declared it a Level-1 emergency and along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) started searching for life amidst the concrete mountains at midnight. So far, at least six people have been confirmed dead in this tragic accident. The deceased included four women and two men, who were declared dead by doctors when they were taken to Shatabdi and Rajawadi hospitals. There is a possibility that some more lives may still be buried under the debris, for which the rescue operation is continuing.
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Invisible time running in water: a deadly web of current and falling trees
The collapse of the chawl was not the only tragedy amid this crisis in Mumbai. An invisible force was running beneath the knee-deep water gathered on the streets – an electric current. Within the last one week, six innocent lives have been lost due to electric shock in Mumbai and its satellite cities. A 17-year-old girl from Mumbra, a helpless mother from Dombivali and a bright college student from Nalasopara – all fell victim to exposed and abandoned electrical wires that had come in contact with water due to waterlogging. Along with this, tree-fall accidents caused by strong winds also took the lives of three people. A young man was killed when a heavy tree suddenly fell on a shop in Kurla West, while an 18-year-old boy traveling on a bike in Goregaon East had his journey ended forever when a branch of a tree fell on him.
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Shadow of silence on the runway: 75 minutes wait and planes hovering in the air
The direct impact of the rain from the sky was also seen at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). Due to strong winds and extremely low visibility, the airport’s runway operations had to be completely halted for about an hour on Sunday. It was not just an hour of silence, but the aviation crisis that started after this left thousands of passengers breathless. According to the airport administration, about 90% of the flights operated with an average delay of 75 minutes. Many planes circling in the air were on the verge of running out of fuel, after which many flights had to be diverted to nearby airports as per security protocol.
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Monday’s suspense: Schools and colleges closed, will the heavenly disaster stop?
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) took a major decision late in the night. On Monday (July 6), an order was issued to keep all government and private schools in Mumbai closed as a precautionary measure. Following Mumbai’s watch, local administrations of Pune, Thane and Navi Mumbai have also locked educational institutions, keeping the safety of students and teachers paramount. To deal with waterlogging, 448 de-watering pumps and 19 mini pumping stations are busy pumping water day and night on the roads.
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The next few days will also be challenging
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a trident of ‘Red’, ‘Orange’ and ‘Yellow’ alerts for Mumbai, which clearly means that the coming few days are going to be even more difficult for Mumbaikars. The administration is fully alert in view of the continuous rains, waterlogging, weak condition of buildings and danger related to electricity. At present, the biggest priority is the safety of the people, speeding up relief work and bringing normal life back on track as soon as possible. The administration has given a clear warning – do not step out of your homes unless absolutely necessary, because Mayanagari is currently going through the toughest test of nature.