On a tragic Friday in Delhi, the Monsoon’s fury was unleashed, leading to a day marked by sorrow as five lives were claimed by accidents related to heavy rainfall. The torrential downpour, marking the highest single-day rainfall for June in 88 years, engulfs the city, causing widespread chaos—flooded streets halted traffic, leaving many commuters stranded.
Among the casualties was a cab driver whose life was cut short when part of a Delhi airport canopy succumbed to the deluge, collapsing atop several vehicles. This incident led to a temporary halt of flight activities at Terminal 1 of the airport.
In other heartbreaking events, a 39-year-old man met his demise through electrocution in Rohini’s Prem Nagar area after encountering a live wire. Additionally, two children tragically drowned in a rainwater-filled pool in the New Usmanpur locality.
A young man in his late 20s also drowned in a Shalimar Bagh underpass in northwest Delhi, overwhelmed by the accumulating rainwater. Moreover, an alarming situation unfolded in Vasant Vihar, where three labourers found themselves trapped due to the collapse of an under-construction wall amidst the early morning downpour; rescue efforts stretched into the evening, with their chances of survival fading as time passed.
The city’s critical infrastructures, including the Pragati Maidan tunnel, were rendered non-operational. Flooded homes were reported citywide, affecting affluent Lutyens’ Delhi neighbourhoods and the residences of notable figures like Delhi Water Minister Atishi and MPs Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, and Ramgopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party.
Vehicles across various sections of the city were submerged, countless areas encountered prolonged power outages, and the heavy rains resulted in the uprooting of several trees. In a notable rescue operation in Kishanganj, police and emergency teams extricated passengers trapped within a bus under a submerged Kodia Bridge underpass, employing life jackets and water tubes for the operation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) data reveals that Safdarjung, Delhi’s chief weather observatory, recorded 228.1 mm of rainfall. At the same time, other areas also reported significant rainfall figures over the last 20 to 30 hours.
The IMD signalled the onset of the Monsoon, highlighting the exceptional nature of the rainfall, with 228.1 mm logged in the 24 hours up to 8.30 am on that Friday, surpassing the June average threefold and setting a record not seen since 1936.
With residential areas submerged, citizens navigated waist-high waters to exit their homes. The deluge caused severe traffic disruptions and led to a flood-like scenario, prompting over 300 complaints of waterlogging.
Social media saw Congress MP Tharoor sharing his ordeal of a submerged residence, narrating the damage inflicted on his possessions due to the failed stormwater drainage system. Manish Tewari and Ramgopal Yadav also faced similar predicaments, with visuals of their efforts to cope with the flooding circulating online.
The heavy rainfall prompted significant power disruptions, which were attributed to technical failures and preventive measures in flood-impacted regions. Specific neighbourhoods faced immediate power cuts with the onset of rain.
Additionally, the fallen trees across the city damaged properties and vehicles, exemplified by a significant incident in South Delhi’s East of Kailash. In response to the crisis, the Delhi government announced plans to establish a round-the-clock control room to monitor the situation, as detailed by Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, alongside a high-level meeting attended by him and his colleagues. Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena also reviewed the situation, directing the initiation of an emergency control room and mobilization efforts.