Record rain kills 32 across Mumbai

An affected structure in Vikhroli’s Suryanagar slum

A total of 258 mm rainfall within a few hours on Saturday night wreaked havoc in the city as wall collapses in eastern suburbs collectively killed 30 in Mahul, Vikhroli and Bhandup. The landslide and heavy downpour led to not just mud but also electric shocks in the water, which prevented people from rushing to safety. Another two people died by electrification in other areas of the city, taking the total death toll to 32.

A landslide in the slum of Vanjar Danda, New Bharat Nagar at Mahul caused a retaining wall to collapse. According to the civic disaster cell, 19 died and five were injured. Six to seven houses were affected by the rubble and many could not be rescued in time due to the electrified water, said locals. Fire officials and NDRF teams faced numerous difficulties to reach the incident spot.

A fire official said, "A lot of manpower was used in the up and down from the affected houses to the ambulances as they had to be parked over 500 to 600 metres away amid lack of visibility and other difficulties." Locals said that had the water not been electrified for over two hours, many lives could have been saved.

Also read: Mumbai Rains: To north of city, roads turn rivers

Rescue operation underway at New Bharat Nagar, Mahul. Pic/Sameer Markande

Resident Nasir Shaikh said, "When the incident took place, I immediately rushed there to help but when I tried to go near, I realised there was an electric current in the water. So I waited for the rescuers to arrive, but by then it was too late."

Force of mud knocked walls

While more than 65 mm rainfall in 24 hours is considered as heavy, the city received 258 mm in just three hours and more than 80 mm in just an hour. The impact of the landslides was such that the accumulated mud and sludge knocked down retaining walls and landed on the huts, officials said.

"The rescue operation is being done in three phases. The first phase was to evacuate people trapped under the debris. Then we will remove all the debris by Sunday evening so that it does not float to other houses. Third, we will shift people to another location. As a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), we send notices about landslide warnings to everyone staying on a hill before monsoon starts," said civic commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal. The administration, along with the suburban collector, is rehabilitating residents of the 25 to 30 affected houses in available PAPs. Rescue operations were going on till the time of going to press on Sunday.

40 shifted to shelter

In Vikhroli, a ground-plus-one residential building collapsed in the wee hours of Sunday in Suryanagar area that adjoins a hillock. Seven to eight houses collapsed and 10 people died, including a child, and one child was injured. The 10 deaths were from three affected houses. This land, where 35,000 people reside, also belongs to the suburban collector.

Vibhas Achrekar, assistant municipal commissioner, S ward, said, "We had surveyed the land and advised citizens residing on top to vacate their houses as it is a landslide-prone zone. We had stuck notices and alerted residents thrice but they did not heed the warnings. We are shifting around 40 people at risk to a civic school on a temporary basis. Thirty people are from the Vikhroli landslide-prone zone and 10 are from Bhandup."

As per the National Disaster Response Force, which was the first to reach the spot, bodies had to be located with the help of a canine squad. They deployed three additional teams as a precautionary measure as per the IMD's orange alert along the coast of Maharashtra. These teams came in handy during the rescue.

Local MP Manoj Kotak visited the site in the morning. He said, "I reviewed the situation and have instructed officials for quick rehabilitation."

In a third wall collapse in Bhandup West near Amarkul School, a 16-year-old injured person was sent to MT Agarwal Hospital, Mulund, but was declared dead on arrival. Apart from these incidents, two more deaths by electrification were reported.

Compensation announced

The state and central governments will be giving compensation of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively. Environment, Tourism, Protocol and Suburban Guardian Minister Aaditya Thackeray said, "We declared Rs 5 lakh compensation - Rs 4 lakh from the disaster management fund and Rs 1 lakh from CM's relief fund for the kin of the deceased and request the central government to increase the help fund. We are also going to shift people who are staying on the dangerous slope."

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray tells agencies to work in tandem during mishaps

AMID the loss of over 20 lives in rain-related incidents across Mumbai and heavy showers inconveniencing citizens, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday asked the BMC and other agencies to be vigilant and work in tandem in case of mishaps.

The CM reviewed the rain situation in the city through a televised system and interacted with various authorities. Mumbai Suburban Guardian Minister Aaditya Thackeray and Mumbai City Guardian Minister Aslam Sheikh were also part of the discussion.

While retaining walls near hillocks gave way at Mahul and Vikhroli leading to deaths on Sunday, a landslide had been reported from Malabar Hill last year.

"There are protective walls at the site of landslides in Mumbai, but it remains to be seen whether there are any other options to study all such sites through IITs or other expert institutes or whether steps can be taken to strengthen them. A hotline should be set up to better coordinate between the Railways and BEST so that passengers do not suffer during such disasters," said a press release from the chief minister's office.

The CM talked about the safety of people living in decrepit structures. "When the rains stop, dilapidated buildings become weaker and some of them fall and a big accident happens. In any case, evacuate the occupants of a very dangerous building, whether it is under the jurisdiction of the municipality or MHADA," said the release.

Minister Aaditya Thackeray stressed the need for fever clinics saying monsoon triggers a spurt in diseases like malaria, dengue and leptospirosis. Citizens should also be screened at Covid vaccination centres, while efforts should be made to raise awareness in housing societies, he said. Minister Sheikh asked power companies to ensure the power lines and their poles remain in good condition.

Mumbai civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal, who also attended the meeting, said municipal workers and officers are on duty round-the-clock. He said the corporation is keeping a close eye on landslide-prone spots.