Mumbai battered by heavy rain: Two dead, roads flooded as IMD issues Orange Alert

Mumbai’s relentless monsoon spell has claimed two lives, paralysed traffic across several neighbourhoods and intensified scrutiny of civic preparedness, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing an Orange Alert for the city.

The latest spell of heavy rain has left key roads submerged, disrupted transport and triggered political demands for accountability after two separate incidents linked to civic infrastructure resulted in fatalities. Authorities have advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel as heavy rainfall is expected to continue over the next 24 hours.

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Chembur school bus tragedy sparks calls for accountability

One of the fatalities occurred in Chembur, where a large tree uprooted by strong winds crashed onto a school bus carrying students of Universal High School and Tilak Nagar School.

Residents and emergency personnel used specialised cutting equipment to rescue children trapped inside the vehicle. Eleven-year-old Vihan Shrivastav later succumbed to his injuries, while other students were taken to Zen Hospital and Jain Hospital for treatment.

Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar described the incident as unfortunate and said both the state government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) were responsible for extending every possible assistance to the affected family.

“It is an unfortunate incident… It is the responsibility of the government and the BMC to provide the best possible support… Action has been and will be taken upon the officers responsible,” he said.

After meeting the victim’s family, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said accountability should not stop with junior officials.

“We spoke to the victim’s family, as he was his parents’ only child… Taking action only against junior officials is not enough; senior officials must also be punished because we need to prevent such incidents,” Pawar said.

He also questioned the effectiveness of pre-monsoon inspections of roads, drains, manholes and other civic infrastructure, saying repeated incidents pointed towards possible negligence.

Open manhole death raises fresh questions

In another incident, 60-year-old Aslam Isak Shaikh died after falling into an open manhole in Sakinaka during heavy rain.

According to the information shared, the drainage cover had been removed for maintenance without adequate barricading. Shaikh, who was reportedly speaking on his mobile phone, was swept away by fast-moving rainwater. His body was recovered after a search operation lasting around three hours.

Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar demanded criminal action against officials responsible for the lapse.

“During the rain, it was necessary to keep the manhole covered or barricaded, but that was not done… Whose responsibility is this? A person’s life was lost, and ward officers and other officials are at fault; an FIR should be registered,” he said.

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar said the matter had been discussed in the House and that a detailed report had been sought, describing the incident as “very unfortunate”.

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde termed the incident an administrative mistake and announced compensation of ₹10 lakh for the victim’s family.

Waterlogging, traffic disruption continue

Heavy rain continued to disrupt movement across the city.

A truck overturned near the Kharghar Toll Plaza on the Sion-Panvel Highway, causing major congestion after blocking multiple lanes. Emergency teams were deployed to clear the vehicle and restore traffic.

Waterlogging continued to trouble several parts of the city, including Dadra East and Sion Gandhi Market, leaving commuters stranded in long traffic snarls and slowing the morning rush.

With more heavy rain expected over the next 24 hours, authorities have urged people to avoid unnecessary travel as civic teams work to clear flooded roads and remove fallen trees and debris.