Palghar Rains: 2 Dead, 244 Rescued So Far As Torrential Showers Continue; Over 200 Villages Cut Off, Schools Shut

Palghar: At least two people have died and 244 others have been rescued after relentless rainfall triggered widespread flooding across Maharashtra's Palghar district over the past two days, prompting large-scale rescue operations by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local authorities.

The district administration has ordered all schools and educational institutions to remain closed on Friday as a precautionary measure amid continuing heavy rainfall and flood-like conditions.

According to Vivekanand Kadam, chief of the district disaster management cell, multi-agency rescue operations concluded around 5 am on Friday after emergency teams worked through the night to evacuate stranded residents from inundated areas.

The death toll rose to two after the body of a man who was swept away in floodwaters was recovered in Dahanu on Thursday, reported PTI. His identity is yet to be established. Earlier, another man's body had been found in a flooded nullah.

244 People Rescued Across Palghar

Officials said 244 people were rescued from various parts of the district, including 124 residents from Palghar town, 65 workers stranded inside a factory in Talasari, and 25 people trapped at a farmhouse in Gundale. Rescue operations were carried out jointly by the district administration, NDRF teams and other emergency agencies.

The district has witnessed some of its worst flooding in the past decade, with continuous heavy rainfall and water released from dams causing rivers to overflow. More than 200 villages across Palghar have lost connectivity with their respective taluka headquarters and the district headquarters after roads and culverts were submerged. The administration has deployed two local NDRF teams while three additional NDRF teams were requisitioned from Mumbai to strengthen rescue efforts in the worst-affected areas.

Wada Among Worst-Hit Regions Due To Heavy Rains

Wada taluka has been among the hardest-hit regions, where incessant rain and strong winds damaged around 20 houses and caused extensive losses to paddy fields. Four culverts were submerged, disrupting access to several villages and affecting daily life.

Several narrow escapes were also reported during the downpour. In Vasai West, four passengers were rescued after their car plunged into a waterlogged trench on the Sun City-Ghas Road when the driver swerved to avoid a stray dog. Local residents managed to pull all occupants out of the partially submerged vehicle.

6 Rescued From MSRTC Bus Stuck In Floodwaters

In another incident, six people, including four passengers, were rescued after an MSRTC bus became stranded in rising floodwaters at Saivan. Residents used ropes to safely evacuate those trapped inside the bus.

The heavy rainfall also severely affected traffic on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway, particularly between Talasari and Umbergaon, where waterlogging led to long traffic jams. Falling trees, flooded roads and poor visibility further slowed vehicular movement across the district.

Police diverted highway traffic towards nearby hotels and roadside eateries, advising motorists to halt until conditions improved. As floodwaters gradually receded, traffic resumed on several affected roads and bridges.

District Collector Indu Rani Jakhar monitored the situation throughout the day, while revenue officials began conducting panchnamas to assess damage to homes, agricultural land and other property. Authorities said rescue and relief operations would continue in vulnerable areas until the situation returns to normal.

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