13 dead as rain, strong winds batter Mumbai, suburbs

The largest death toll was recorded in Mankhurd, where a few slum tenements collapsed on Sunday night, killing at least six people

Mumbai/ Navi Mumbai/ Thane/ Vasai: At least 13 people were killed as heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds lashed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) on Sunday. The largest death toll was recorded in Mankhurd, where some slum tenements collapsed on Sunday night, killing at least six people.

Rescue operations were underway till late into the night in Makhurd after 2-3 slum tenements collapsed amid heavy rain, killing at least five minor children and a 32-year-old woman. (HT Photo)

Earlier in the day, a businessman and a part-time worker were killed in separate tree/ branch collapse incidents in Kurla and Aarey Colony. In Vasai-Virar, a 20-year-old man died after falling into a drain, while another 20-year-old man was electrocuted to death. In Bhiwandi, a 17-year-old boy who had gone to catch crabs in the river was swept away by strong currents, while in Ambernath, the body of a 21-year-old man missing for three days was recovered from the dam. In Vashi, a 35-year-old cook was killed after a balcony of an ageing building collapsed.

Though Mumbai received 150-170 mm rainfall over the 24 hours ending 5pm on Sunday, alongside a 4.19-metre high tide at 3:22pm, no major waterlogging incidents were reported from across the city.

Around 8.30pm on Sunday, around 2-3 ground-plus-three tenements in Janta Nagar, Mankhurd, collapsed amid heavy rain, with several people feared trapped under the debris. The Assistant Medical Officer at Shatabdi Hospital said five victims – four women and one man – were taken to the hospital and were declared dead on arrival. One more victim was pronounced dead on arrival at Rajawadi Hospital. Identities of the six deceased were yet to be ascertained while rescue operations were underway till late into the night.

Earlier on Sunday, two people were killed in separate tree-fall incidents in Aarey Colony and Kurla. According to the police, Sakinaka resident Hasan Sayyad, 18, was riding through the Aarey Colony with friends amid heavy rain around 3.30am when he was struck on the head by a falling branch. Sayyad was a third year student and worked part time, said Ravindra Patil, senior police inspector, Aarey Colony police station .

“He was riding pillion on his friend’s motorbike when the branch fell on his head. They rushed him to Balaji Hospital in Malad East, where he was declared dead on arrival,” the officer said.

The body was later sent to Siddharth Hospital for a post-mortem examination, while the Aarey Police registered an Accidental Death Report under section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Sayyad’s father has told the police that he has no suspicion against anyone regarding his son’s death, senior inspector Patil said.

In the other tree-fall related death, 63-year-old Yunus Kundawala was killed when a large branch from a Saptaparni tree fell on him in Kurla West, killing him on the spot. Kundawala had travelled from his home in Bandra to Kurla West on Sunday morning, to prepare for the inauguration of the shop his sons had gifted him.

“Around 12.40pm, as he stepped out of the yet-unopened hardware store along Khairani Road, a tree branch came crashing onto him,” said Vijayendra Shinde, chairman of the L Ward Prabhag Samiti. Kundawala was rushed to Fauzia Hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival, said Vijayendra Shinde, chairman of the L Ward Prabhag Samiti. Mayor Ritu Tawde later announced an immediate financial assistance of ₹5 lakh for Kundawala’s family.

Gusty winds, fallen trees

The fatalities occurred as Mumbai witnessed one of its heaviest spells of rainfall this monsoon, accompanied by strong winds which caught citizens unaware.

The highest wind speed of 72.4kmph was recorded in C ward in Marine Lines and D ward in Malabar Hill. In the eastern suburbs, Ghatkopar recorded the top wind speed at 75kmph while in the western suburbs, Bandra West saw the strongest winds at 77kmph.

Across the day, the BMC received more than 250 complaints of fallen trees – mainly from Bandra, Shivaji Park, Matunga and Chembur. Near Maheshwari Udayan in Matunga, a 200-year-old tree collapsed on a parked car, while another tree also collapsed in the same lane, blocking traffic. A portion of a hill slope gave way near the Mumbai police crime branch office in Antop hill after trees in the area collapsed, though no casualties were reported.

In Worli, a ground-plus-three storey structure collapsed along Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan Road, but casualties were reported, while in Juhu, residents complained about the beach being littered after the high tide.

The BMC responded to 42 short-circuit incidents across the city on Sunday – 15 in the island city, 17 in the eastern suburbs and 10 in the western suburbs. Power supply agencies attended all complaints, and no injuries were reported.

MMR battered

At least one person was killed in Vashi and 435 people had to be evacuated from flood-prone areas in Panvel and a residential building in Belapur as Navi Mumbai was battered by heavy rain and strong winds. The deceased was identified as Rajesh Shetty, 35, a cook at the well-known Bhagat Tarachand restaurant. Shetty was killed when the third-floor balcony of an ageing four-storey building collapsed onto the road and an iron rod from the falling structure struck him.

Mansi Dharekar, 42, a local resident, was injured in the incident. The building had already been vacated, though ground-floor shops remained operational. Assistant Commissioner Sahadev Yedve said the owner had been issued a notice last year to conduct a structural audit, but the report was never submitted.

The Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) shifted 435 residents from flood-hit areas to four relief centres, where food, drinking water and medical care were provided. “All evacuated residents have been provided shelter and essential facilities at the relief centres,” PMC Commissioner Mangesh Chitale said.

In Uran, heavy rain inundated Chirner village, with water entering several houses and disrupting normal life.

In Bhiwandi, 17-year-old Mohammad was swept away by strong currents while catching crabs that usually emerge when the Kamwari river swells. A rescue team comprising fire brigade personnel, police and local residents searched for him, but could find him till late into night, when the rescue operation was suspended due to darkness.

In Ambernath, the fire brigade, police, and local residents recovered the body of a man who had been missing since Friday after drowning in the Chikhloli dam. The deceased, identified as Vishwanath Kamble, a resident of Ulhasnagar, had gone to the dam with his friends and had reportedly entered deep waters despite being a non-swimmer.

A police official from Shivaji Nagar police station said, “The deceased was a tailor by profession. His body was recovered on Sunday morning at around 9am and it was handed over to his family after completing legal formalities.”

In Vasai-Virar, police registered two accidental death cases on Sunday. In the first incident, a man identified as Sumeer Kumar Mandal died after he fell into a drain in a waterlogged-stretch of the Madhuvan area in Vasai East. In the second incident, a man trying to enter his house at Santosh Nagar in Nalasopara East was electrocuted to death while climbing the metallic ladder to his mezzanine-floor tenement.

Water stock up

The heavy downpour replenished fast-depleting depleting water reserves in the MMR, with the water stock in seven lakes that supply water to the city rising 3.78% compared to a day earlier. As of Sunday morning, the combined storage in the seven lakes was 13.19% of the total capacity.