Heavy overnight rains inundate parts of Mumbai, suburbs; 2 killed in landslide

A heavy downpour lashed Mumbai and its suburbs in the early hours of Saturday, 16 August, with some areas recording over 200 mm of rainfall, flooding low-lying neighbourhoods and disrupting local train services.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Mumbai, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next two days.

he Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has appealed to residents to avoid stepping out unnecessarily and exercise caution amid the heavy rains.

A landslide occurred at the Vikhroli Parksite area in the eastern suburbs, killing two people and injuring many others.

The downpour, which began around 1 am and continued into the early hours, led to severe waterlogging in several low-lying areas across the western and eastern suburbs — including Vikhroli, Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Andheri, Kings Circle, Malad, and Goregaon — crippling movement in many parts of the city.

Suburban train services — Mumbai’s lifeline — were also hit, with water accumulation on tracks disrupting movement at multiple locations along the Central and Western Railway lines.

Waterlogging was reported at several stations — including Dadar, Kurla, Sion, Chunabhatti and Tilak Nagar — severely disrupting services on the main and harbour lines of the Central Railway, while also delaying operations on the Western Railway.

A spokesperson from the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) said that bus operations were also affected, as several buses diverted from waterlogged areas in Sion, Kings Circle, Aarey Colony, and Malad Subway, among others.

Civic officials said pumping operations were underway in multiple areas, and response teams had been deployed to address complaints of waterlogging and tree falls.

According to the IMD, several parts of Mumbai recorded more than 200 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am on Friday and 5.30 am on Saturday.

Vikhroli, in the eastern suburbs, recorded the highest rainfall at 248.5 mm, followed by Santacruz with 232.5 mm, Sion with 221 mm, and Juhu with 208 mm.

The intensity of rainfall was higher in the suburbs compared to south Mumbai, where Colaba recorded just 70 mm of rainfall during this period.

With PTI inputs