Mumbai:
Mumbai had a nasty start to its week. Heavy rains whipped the city, making the morning insidious for commuters. A portion of a small hill near the city's famous Haji Ali Dargah collapsed; one person has died. Residents of several buildings in the area have been asked to leave their homes.
From 9 to 11 am, trains and flights were hit by the inclement weather. Local trains on the Central Line, which includes major stations like Thane, Kurla and Dadar stopped operating for nearly two hours; the Western line saw trains delayed by about 20 minutes. Flights also reported minor delays. (
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"I was stuck at Dadar for five hours," said Annette Londhe. On a normal weekday, about 35 to 40 lakh people use the Central Line.
By noon train services were partially restored. The Central Railways are running by a delay of around 20 minutes, while the Western Railways are running by a delay of 15 minutes.
In low-lying areas like Kurla and Kandivili, the water was reportedly knee-high when the rain was at its heaviest today. After reports of water-logging from several areas, all the schools run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) were closed. (
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At a resort in Palghar, a 2-hour drive from Mumbai, 33 people were evacuated after being trapped there for at least 12 hours. The weather bureau expects the heavy rain to continue for the next 24 hours. (
Read: Heavy rain traps tourists at Thane resort) Meanwhile, local officials have also issued an alert for high tide in the next few hours. "A tide measuring 4.63 metre will hit the coast soon. Any tide above 4.50 metre is a high tide," an official said.