Mumbai rain: 14 dead as city limps back to life
Mumbai rains
The absence of overnight rain brought some respite
Mumbai slowly came back to life on Wednesday, a day after being indundated by heavy rain, its worstrain crisis since 2005.
Two toddlers were among 14 people killedin separate incidents in yesterday's deluge whichdestroyed homes and disrupted traffic in India's financial capital. Asmuch as 300 mmof rainfall was recorded in some parts of the city Tuesday.
The absence of overnight rain and lighter rain than fearedbrought some respite and helped in rescue efforts today.
Heavy rain is forecast in the next few hours.
The city and suburbs received a few showers in the last few hours but rainfall wasn't heavy like yesterday," said KS Hosalikar, a senior India Metrological Department official.
"However in the next few hours Mumbai and adjourning areas are likely to get fairly widespread rainfall, which will be heavy in few pockets."
Traffic is plying normally in some areas. Traffic jams continue to pose hardship to motorists onroads and subways at Andheri, Santacruz and Khar.
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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is on priority tackling the traffic snarls caused by vehicleswhich were deserted by their owners after they suffered a breakdown or ran out of fuel.
Rail operations have been restored onmost lines. Long-distance passengers were a harried lot aftersome of the trains were cancelled. Six long distance trains between Mumbai and Delhi, Valsad and Punjab have been cancelled.
Local trains are behind schedule.
Several areas in the city including Khar, Linking Road and SV Road in Bandra, Parel, Kalina, Hindmata(Dadar) and Sion were still water-logged. However, in the absence of overnight rain, the water levelat these places had receded.
Flights are operating normally.
Schools and colleges are closed today and citizens have been advised to stay at home today.
A man was found dead in his car in Mumbai's Sion locality.
A two-year-old girl was crushed under a wall which crashed during the rain in Vikhroli East.Twopeople were killed when a portion of a house collapsed in Vikhroli. In the adjoining suburb ofGhatkopar, an 18-month-old infant and a 40-year-old man died while being treated in hospital.
In Ghatkopar's Ambedkar Nagar, a 45-year-old man was killed, his wife and their minor childreninjured when a wall of their home crashed on them.
A doctor who went missing yesterday (August 29) has drowned in an open manhole in Dadar'sElphinstonearea.Although the body has not been identified yet, it is suspected to be that of Dr DeepakAmarapurkar, HOD Gastroenterology, Bombay Hospital.
A dozen people, mainly senior citizens are reportedly missing across the city and are suspected to beout of communication.
The weather department has forecast "heavy to very heavy rains" in the entire coastal Konkan regionof Maharashtra - which includes Mumbai - today.
The otherwise busy vegetable market of Dadar was deserted on Wednesday as the sellers sat awaiting customers.
The city's fameddabbawalas are not operating today and say they will resume services tomorrow.
Civic authorities are clearing slushy roads strewn with garbage, and are also gearing up to tacklerush of patients in municipal hospitals.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said on Wednesday that ten of their teams are on standby in Mumbai and ready to be deployed, if need arises.
Navy personnel are providing food to those stranded in the heavy rain early morning today.
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