Heavy Rains Claim 4 Lives in Maharashtra, 106 Picnickers Stranded at Waterfall Rescued

New Delhi: Four people were killed as heavy rains lashed Maharashtra on Saturday, throwing normal life out of gear.

According to Hindustan Times, the disaster management team of Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation removed two unidentified bodies from the Khadavli River in the afternoon. Another death was reported due to electrocution in Ghatkopar.

Meanwhile, a picnicker was killed and 106 others were rescued at Chinchoti waterfall in Vasai in neighbouring Palghar district, police said. The body of the deceased, identified as 35-year-old Bhavesh Gupta, was pulled out, said the Palghar SP.

The waterfall, a popular destination among tourists during the monsoon, is situated in Tungareshwar forest, over

70 kilometres from here. "The area is witnessing continuous rainfall since morning which led to these people getting stranded and it is also hampering rescue operations," the official informed.

Traffic snarls were witnessed in several areas as heavy downpour led to waterlogging in Malad, Borivali, Powai, Bhandup and parts of Thane and Kalyan.

Mumbai’s lifeline, the local train, was also hit by the showers. Though train services resumed in Kalyan-Badlapur section from 11.30am, delays were reported. While services on the central line are operating with a 20-minute delay, the western line saw a delay of 15 minutes.

Ajay Kumar, scientist at the India Meteorological Department, said scattered heavy rainfall with isolated spells of very heavy rain was expected in Mumbai and surrounding areas till Wednesday. “The formation of a low pressure area over north West Bengal and adjoining areas of the Bay of Bengal, and the active monsoon current over the Konkan coast has led to more moisture incursions leading to rain over Mumbai and other parts or north Konkan,” Kumar said.

He added, “In the coming days, rainfall intensity is expected to increase over Mumbai and surrounding areas as the low pressure system on the east coast is likely to intensify the offshore trough extending from Gujarat to Kerala, leading to heavy to very heavy rainfall till Wednesday.”

The levels of the Ulhas River rose sharply, flooding the nearby areas of Kalyan, Milap Nagar and Dombivili.

Saturday's rain came three days after an overbridge at a railway station in the Andheri suburb collapsed during heavy rains, disrupting train services and injuring five people.