Mumbai Rains Wreak Havoc: 4 Dead; Schools Shut, Flights and Trains Disrupted

Mumbai: The sudden, extremely heavy rainfall in the Maharashtra capital has taken the residents by surprise; the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Mumbai and the schools and colleges in the city have also been closed. The Mumbai Rains have claimed four lives in the past 24 hours.

Mumbai Rains: Death Toll Reaches 4

The incessant Mumbai Rains have claimed a total of four lives in the past 24 hours; a woman in Andheri lost her life after falling in an open drain and three others in Kalyan and Thane died due to lightning strikes.

The 45-year-old woman who lost her life drowned in a nullah overflowing due to heavy rains in suburban Andheri on Wednesday, police said. The incident occurred at around 9.20 pm near gate no. 8 of MIDC, Andheri East, they said. The victim was identified as Vimal Anil Gaikwad. Local police and the fire brigade were alerted and they took the woman to the Cooper Hospital where she was declared brought dead, they said.

Mumbai Rains: Schools, Colleges Shut

As IMD has issued a red alert for Mumbai amid heavy rains, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced closure of all schools and colleges in the city.

The BMC, on its official handle of X, wrote, "The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Red Alert for Mumbai, till tomorrow morning 8:30 am. In view of this, all schools and colleges in Mumbai have been declared a holiday for tomorrow Thursday, 26 September 2024, in consideration of the safety of students. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) administration requests Mumbaikars to step out of homes only if required."

IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet Issue Travel Advisories amid Heavy Rains

Major airlines have issued travel advisories for all its passengers travelling to and from Mumbai.

IndiGo Airline has issued a travel advisory for all its passengers amid heavy rains in the city. The advisory reads, “As heavy rains continue to drench Mumbai, we understand that many of you may be facing inconvenience with flight delays/diversions and heavy waterlogging on your way to the terminals. If you or your loved ones are travelling, please keep a close tab on your flight status https://bit.ly/3DNYJqj. We are holding onto hope for clear skies and for our operations to return to normal soon. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.”

In a post on ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter), Air India has issued an advisory for all its passengers. The advisory reads, “Due to heavy rains in Mumbai, flight operations to and from the city are being affected. Guests are advised to leave for the airport early, as traffic delays and waterlogging may impact travel times.Please check your flight status before heading to the airport.”

SpiceJet advisory says, “Due to bad weather (heavy rain) in Mumbai (BOM), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may get affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status via http://bit.ly/2tG9xBx.”

Mumbai Rains: As Many As 14 Flights Delayed and Diverted

According to an airport official, due to heavy rains, 14 flights arriving at the Mumbai Airport on Wednesday had to be diverted and landed at other airports. The official said that nine of these flights were of Indigo, which were not allowed to land in the city due to bad weather. Other flights which were directed by the Aviation Traffic Control (ATC) to land at other airports included two Vistara flights and one each of Air india, Akasa and Gulf Air.

The official said that after the diversion, seven planes were directed to land in Hyderabad, four in Ahmedabad, two in Goa's MOPA Airport and one in Udaipur. It has been raining heavily in Mumbai since yesterday afternoon, due to which waterlogging has occurred and traffic is affected.

Mumbai Rains: Local Train Services Update

While the local train services in Mumbai were disrupted on Wednesday due to the heavy rain, in a latest update, the train services have resumed and are back to normal.

Mumbai Rains: Traffic Update

The rains in Mumbai have caused waterlogging across the city and this has led to a disruption in traffic. Residents have been advised to move out of their houses only if necessary.