India: Three kids drown while swimming in New Delhi flood waters

Three children drowned while swimming through the flood waters in India’s capital New Delhi on Friday.

The kids, aged between 10 and 13, had jumped into a ditch filled with water in Northeast Delhi's Mukundpur area for a bath around 3 pm. They were identified as Piyush (13), Nikhil (10), and Ashish (13)— all residents of H-block, Jahangirpuri, police said.

A police constable spotted them and immediately jumped into the water to save them. However, despite his efforts, the children died.

According to fire officials, a fire tender was rushed to the spot after information about the incident was received at 2:25 pm.

Notably, these are the first deaths to be reported in the Delhi floods.

More rains expected

Meanwhile, the Met officials have issued a 'yellow' alert for July 15, saying that the city would likely witness another heavy spell of rain which may aggravate the flood situation.

On Friday morning, the regional met tweeted, "Light intensity rain/drizzle would occur over and adjoining areas of Delhi (Jafarpur, Nazafgarh, Dwarka, Palam, IGI Airport, Ayanagar, Deramandi), NCR (Gurugram) Gohana, Sonipat (Haryana) Moradabad, Bahajoi, Sahaswan, Etah, Tundla, Firozabad, Shikohabad (UP) during next two hours."

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena inspected ITO, one of the busiest traffic areas in Delhi that have been shut as floodwaters from Yamuna river flowed into central Delhi after a drain regulator broke down.

Five of the 32 gates of the ITO barrage through which water flows into the Yamuna are shut, causing slow drainage from flooded areas.

Army and disaster response force personnel, along with the Delhi administration, have been trying to unclog the five gates without success so far.

Water receding in Yamuna

In the latest update, the Central Water Commission said that the water level in Yamuna has receded and now it down to 208.17 metres at 6 pm (local time) on Friday. At 12 pm, the water level was at around 208.32 metres.

Anticipating rains that could increase the water level of Yamuna river, the Delhi officials evacuated as many as 23,692 people from the adjacent areas, ANI news agency reported quoting a Delhi government official.

The Delhi government said that 21,092 people are currently residing in tents and shelters.

(With inputs from agencies)

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