The monsoon returned to Mumbai with a bang on Monday as observatories in Colaba and Santacruz recorded nearly 100 mm rainfall between 8am and 6pm. Four people were injured in three separate incidents of tree and wall collapse while one labourer was killed after being trapped in an under-construction building in Andheri.
Heavy showers began lashing the city during the night on Sunday and continued into Monday, with Colaba and Santacruz recording 100.4mm and 86mm rainfall between 8am on Sunday and 8am on Monday. Between 8am and 6pm on Monday, Santacruz West recorded the highest rainfall in the city at 93mm, followed closely by BKC at 92mm. Other spots that received nearly 100mm rain during the day included Wadala, Worli, Prabhadevi, Bandra, Malad and Chembur.
The India Metrological Department (IMD) had issued a yellow alert for the city for Monday, which was upgraded to an orange alert around 1pm, indicating the possibility of very heavy rainfall. Thane and Palghar too were placed under an orange alert, while a red alert was sounded for Raigad.
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The IMD attributed the showers to the advancement of the southwest monsoon into Konkan, central Maharashtra and some parts of Gujarat. An upper air cyclonic circulation, which originated over central parts of Konkan and the Arabian Sea, had moved to south Gujarat and could result in the formation of a low pressure zone over the region during the next 24 hours, bringing further rainfall, said IMD officials.
On Sunday, a coconut tree in Deonar collapsed on a garbage collection truck amid heavy rains, injuring 42-year-old Amin Sheikh on his waist and legs. Shaikh is currently undergoing treatment at Zen Hospital in Chembur. Another tree collapse was reported in Takpada in Andheri East around 10:50am. Jai Basu, 48, who was injured in the incident, was taken to Seven Hills Hospital where his condition was said to be stable.
In Jogeshwari, two elderly citizens were injured when the parapet of an under-construction building collapsed around 12:40pm on Monday. The injured were taken to HBT Trauma Care Hospital in Jogeshwari East. While Sugandha Kadam, 63, was discharged after treatment, the condition of Arlene Paul, 59, was said to be critical. Waterlogging was reported from a few spots such as LBS Marg in Kurla West, Gandhi Market in Dadar and the Andheri subway as the rainfall was spread across the day.
Labourer killed
A labourer got trapped at an under-construction building in Andheri East on Monday after the soil around the construction site was loosened due to heavy rains. The incident was reported to the BMC’s disaster cell at 7.43pm, following which the Mumbai Fire Brigade initiated a rescue operation. The labourer was rescued after 11pm and sent to Cooper Hospital, where he was declared brought dead, said officials at the hospital.