6 dead, 6 missing in 15 Maha districts; Nanded worst hit

Around 300 people from four villages in Mukhed taluka of Nanded were stranded following a cloudburst in the catchment areas of Lendi river; flood water from adjoining Latur district and parts of the neighbouring Karnataka, exacerbated the situation

MUMBAI: Six people have been reported dead and six missing in 15 districts of Maharashtra following heavy rainfall on Sunday and Monday. Nanded (Marathwada) has been the worst hit. With most rivers and dams in coastal Konkan, Kolhapur (western Maharashtra) and Gadchiroli (Vidarbha) either touching a ‘danger level’ or on the verge of reaching it, the district administration has swung into action with rescue operations.

Mumbai, India – 18, Aug 2025: Waterlogging in the Hindmata-Parel area due to heavy rainfall, in Mumbai, India, on Monday, Aug 18, 2025. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

On the other hand, relentless rain in Mumbai resulted in two deaths, the first due to a wall collapse in Malabar Hill and the second due to a drowning at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). A third person was injured when a tree fell in Parsi Wadi.

In his review meeting with district collectors and divisional commissioners on Monday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said around 15 of 36 districts have been placed under red and orange alerts till August 21. “The administration is vigilant. 800 villages in Marathwada have been affected, while overall, 4 lakh hectares of farmland have been washed away for which farmers will be compensated,” said Fadnavis.

He added, the intensity of the rainfall and the high tide in Mumbai is expected to go up in the next two days. “The high tide of up to 4 meters is expected till Tuesday morning; citizens must brace themselves for it,” he said.

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Quick Response Team (QRT) helped people into safer spaces, said state officials. Over 225 people from Ravangaon took shelter in a nearby mosque, while 68 villagers were rescued from Bhingeli, Bhaswadi and Hasmal.

Six individuals remain missing in Nanded, while three bodies were recovered in Hasmal village, according to Rahul Kardile, Nanded district collector. In Akola (Vidarbha), one person was killed by a lightning strike. Later, two additional deaths were reported: one in Beed and one in Hingoli. Additionally, over 150 cattle perished due to drowning in Nanded.

Elaborating on the nature of the operation, Kardile said, “The SDRF team of 45 people broke into two groups for rescue operations. A team from Bombay Sappers (a group from the Indian Army) have also been put on standby to help in rescue operations should the need arise. Those who have been rescued from the four villages have been transported to safe places.”

Meanwhile, the rising water level of the Vishnupuri dam is likely to pose a threat to Nanded city as well. “The water level has touched 354 meters already, which is above the accepted level of 347 meters. It may rise further,” he said.

In his meeting with the government officers, Fadnavis said, “The Konkan belt has witnessed heavy rainfall over the last two days while a few rivers in Raigad and Ratnagiri have crossed their warning levels. Three districts in Marathwada – Nanded, Latur and Beed -- are likely to see heavy rainfall in the next three days.” He added that the state government was working with the government of Karnataka “in keeping an eye on the discharge from their dams in the border areas”.

Turning to the situation in the city, Fadnavis said, “South Mumbai and the eastern parts faced heavy rainfall, the highest -- 177mm – in Chembur in eight hours since 7am Monday. 14 spots were waterlogged – 12 of those slowed down traffic, while two brought traffic to a complete halt. While metro trains ran on time, locals were behind schedule.”

Other districts of the drought-prone Marathwada region, too, have witnessed heavy rainfall over the last two days, leading to almost all dams in Latur, Parbhani, Hingoli and Nanded overflowing. Two of the largest dams in Marathwada -- Jayakwadi and Yeldari – are almost full. The respective district administrations have issued alerts to the people staying on the banks of river and near catchment areas of the dams.

“Mumbai, Raigad, the ghat regions of Pune, Satara, Ratnagiri and Kolhapur have been issued red alerts, as heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected here. On the other hand, Thane, Palghar Sindhudurg, Jalgaon, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Jalna, Beed, Latur, Amravati, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli have been put under orange alert. Fishermen and those living on river banks have been asked to stay safe. Controlled release of water from Koyana dam, part of the Krishna basin, in western Maharashtra, and Godavari in Marathwada, is underway,” read a press statement issued by the disaster management cell.