Heavy rains leave Mumbai reeling; 2 dead elsewhere

Monsoon rains threw life out of gear today in Maharashtra, Odisha and large swathes of northern India, leaving two dead and several missing.

Heavy rains continued to lash most parts of Maharashtra, especially Mumbai, for the second consecutive day today, growing even heavier than on Thursday. Road and rail traffic had been hit since morning, making life a nightmare for commuters.

Railway tracks have been flooded at various points on the Central Railway and Western Railway networks serving the city.

With the slow corridor completely submerged and out of service, both local and long-distance trains were being diverted to the fast corridor, creating massive delays.

Waterlogging in many areas of Mumbai also led BEST to divert bus routes.

Harried commuters found themselves stranded during the morning peak hour, unable to either reach office or get back home.

A railway official said that several trains in both directions on the two routes (Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Mumbai-New Delhi) have been regulated at various stations until the water levels recede.

India Meteorological Department director V K Rajeev said that heavy rains are expected to continue over Mumbai, coastal Konkan and other parts of the state for the next two days.

In Odisha, two women were killed, while two were swept away after a flash flood ravaged Malkangiri district, state revenue minister Surya Narayan Patro said today.

At least 100 people were given shelter in a local school after flood water gushed through their homes in the region, he added.

Agra too was hard hit by three spells of heavy showers since Friday morning. Water-logging was reported from different parts of the city, even as the Taj Mahal looked washed and sparkling.

Traffic snarls have affected otherwise busy commercial areas. Heavy rain had lashed Agra on Thursday too. Low-lying colonies were inundated.

The weather department has forecast continuing rains till Sunday.