Deepak Amarapurkar, a renowned doctor, went missing last evening when heavy rains engulfed Mumbai
Highlights
- Dr. Deepak Amarapurkar was missing since Tuesday after heavy rain
- Witnesses claim he fell into an open manhole on the flooded road
- His body was found in a drain near the seashore at Worli
Noted Mumbai doctor Deepak Amarapurkar, who was missing since Tuesday after heavy rain left most of the city flooded, has been found dead. His body was found in a drain near the seashore at Worli.
Dr Amarapurkar, a senior gastroenterologist of the Bombay Hospital, was last seen on Tuesday evening when he got off his car near his home at Elphinstone Road and started walking in waist deep water.
Witnesses claim he fell into an open manhole on the flooded road just a few metres from his home; the drain ends at Worli and opens into the sea. That is where he was found this morning.
The 58-year-old doctor had to walk as his car had stalled in water. His umbrella was found near the manhole.
"According to some eye-witnesses, Dr Amarapurkar fell into a manhole. Some people heard his voice but by the time anybody could react, the doctor had fallen," said Sunil Deshmukh, a police officer.
The manhole was searched by firemen and civic workers for several hours.
That day, Mumbai received the heaviest rain since 2005 and was completely paralysed as services stopped and most parts of the city were submerged.
Dr Amarapurkar's colleagues have said that he left for home after lunch at the hospital cafeteria even though he was urged to stay back until it was safer to go out.
While he was missing, many messages were circulated on WhatsApp on the doctor, who was prominent in medical conferences and research papers. The police urged people not to spread false messages about his death.