Mumbai Fire Officials To Team's Rescue, Stuck After Heavy Rain. See Video

Shocking visuals of flooded streets, hospitals and train tracks after unprecedented overnight rain in Mumbai captured the plight of people in the city, which is fighting a surge in coronavirus cases. The country's financial capital received "one of the heaviest showers of this monsoon season in the last 24 hours," the India Meteorological Department said this morning.

A video showing a fire brigade team rescuing their own personnel captured the helplessness of the rescue officials as heavy rain continued through the day. The 1-minute long clip shows a fire engine towing away a van of the Mumbai Fire Brigade, which had probably broken down in the flooded streets, with sirens blaring.

Watch | Fire brigade rescue their personnel in a flooded street in #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/yPQKMzT2o9

— NDTV (@ndtv) September 23, 2020

While vehicles were breaking down, another clip that showed a bullock cart in a water-logged street prompted witty comments on social media. "Most reliable transport facility as of today in Mumbai," a user tweeted.

Watch | A bullock cart in a flooded street in #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/cL6eBFceJm

— NDTV (@ndtv) September 23, 2020

In some parts, the situation got serious, leading to inconvenience for Covid patients. The outpatient department at the city's Nair Hospital, a dedicated Covid facility run by the  Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, was waterlogged. Sanitation workers were seen outside the hospitals this morning, trying to unblock the drainage system. 

#WATCH Maharashtra: Mumbai's Nair Hospital flooded following heavy rainfall in the city. It is a COVID-19 dedicated hospital.

As per Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai city received 173 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/DLPOWe2gPc

— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2020

Five teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are on standby in Mumbai, Thane and Palghar districts,  Maharashtra Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. 

Mr Wadettiwar appealed to people to stay indoors as several parts got flooded. "Since last night, Mumbai, Thane and Palghar districts have been witnessing very heavy rain. There is flood-like situation in many places. Five teams of the NDRF are on stand by to assist the local administration," the minister said. 

With over 12.4 lakh cases, Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in the country by the coronavirus outbreak. Mumbai alone has logged over 1.8 lakh cases so far.