E-Paper
1 dead as strong dust storm hits Delhi-NCR; IMD issues red alert, flights diverted
Delhi's adjoining areas such as Noida and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh also witnessed dust storm on Friday evening, with power outages in some areas.
A strong dust storm ripped through Delhi and its nearby areas on Friday evening, April 11, a day after a dust storm and moderate rain lashed parts of the cities amid scorching heat wave which has taken the temperature up to 40 degrees Celsius.
One person died and two injured after a wall of an under-construction building collapsed in Delhi's Madhu Vihar PS area during the dust storm.
India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Delhi nowcast showed a red alert for all districts amid the strong dust storm on Friday evening.
Delhi's adjoining areas such as Noida and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh along with Haryana's Gurugram also witnessed dust storm on Friday evening, with power outages in some areas.
1 dead, flight ops hit, trees fall
Branches of trees fell in some areas of Delhi, while flight operations were also hit at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) of the city. In Delhi's Madhu Vihar, One person died and two were injured after a wall of an under-construction building collapsed during the dust storm on Friday.
" Around 7 pm, we received a PCR call...when we reached the spot, we got to know that construction of a 6-floor building was going on and a wall of the building has collapsed. One person died and 2 sustained injuries...injured have been taken to hospital...the wall collapsed during the dust storm," news agency ANI quoted Vineet Kumar, ADCP 1 East Delhi, as saying.
Traffic movement was affected in the ITO area of Delhi after an electric pole fell amid the sudden dust storm. In Gurugram, authorities were seen removing a damaged car from the Dwarka Expressway after a signboard fell on it during the storm. Two people got injured in the Dwarka Expressway incident, officials told PTI.
Meanwhile, at least three persons sustained injuries after some construction material fell on them from the roof of a house in the Chander Vihar area following the dust storm on Friday, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said.
The DFS received a call informing about the incident at 7.27 pm and dispatched three teams to the spot. "Some bricks fell from the roof of a house where construction work was going on, leaving at least three persons injured. They are being treated at a nearby hospital," news agency PTI quoted a DFS officer.
"We have secured the site. Construction work was going on to build a sixth floor on the five-storey building. We have sent the injured to the hospital. Further legal proceedings are underway," a senior police officer said.
Delhi witnessed a cloudy sky Friday morning with the weather department forecasting thunderstorms and light rain during the day.
Delhi received sporadic overnight drizzle, taking the minimum temperature to settle at 22.8 degrees Celsius, 1.8 notches above normal.
In the 24-hour period ending 8.30 am, a weather station in Mayur Vihar recorded 5.0 mm rainfall, while Pritampura received 1.0 mm rainfall, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The city's primary weather station at Safdarjung reported only a trace of rainfall, IMD added.
The relative humidity at 8.30 am was 68 per cent.
Delhi weather forecast
The weather department had forecast thunderstorms and light rain for the day with the maximum temperature expected to settle around 37 degree Celsius.
The moderate rain on Friday kept the mercury under check, bringing relief to people from the scorching heatwave witnessed during the past few days.
On Monday, Delhi's maximum temperature touched 40 degrees Celsius for the first time this season, marking a heatwave situation that persisted for three consecutive days.
On Wednesday, the city recorded its warmest night in three years, with the minimum temperature settling at 25.9 degrees Celsius. The air quality was recorded in the moderate category as the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9 am was at 172.
