Mumbai: On Tuesday, August 19, relentless rainfall battered Mumbai, its extended suburbs, and adjoining townships, once again exposing the city’s struggle with its annual monsoon challenge.
Several problems were reported by the citizens of Mumbai in the past few days. Among them, incidents of short circuits, and tree and wall collapses were also reported, details of which are mentioned below.
Incidents of Short Circuit Reported Across Mumbai
At least 32 incidents of short circuits were reported across the city between Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Of these, 18 cases were from the island city division, 8 from the eastern suburbs, and 6 from the western suburbs. A tragic case of a 17-year-old boy dying after suffering an electric shock in Bhandup was also reported.
The victim, identified as Deepak Ajay Pillai, died after accidentally coming into contact with a live high-tension wire on the road in Bhandup’s Pannalal Compound area on Tuesday.
A video of Deepak walking and coming into contact with the wire surfaced online. He was on his way home when he stopped briefly to let a bus pass. After the bus moved, he continued walking, unaware of the exposed wire beneath the waterlogged road. Moments later, he came into contact with the wire and collapsed on the spot. People were seen trying to help him with sticks, but the electric shock was fatal and claimed his life instantly.
Incidents of Tree & House Collapse Reported
More than 107 cases of tree and partial house collapses were reported in Mumbai in the past 24 hours. Of the total incidents, over 93 involved trees collapsing, with 43 of them in the western suburbs. The remaining 14 cases involved wall collapses, 7 of which were reported from the eastern suburbs.
Incident of Slab Collapse in Nerul
On Wednesday afternoon, a portion of a slab collapsed inside a flat at Vighnaharta Society in Nerul’s Sector-1. The woman was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she is currently receiving medical treatment.
Due to heavy showers, Mumbai was heavily affected, with several of its areas waterlogged, train services (Mumbai’s lifeline) severely disrupted due to flooding on tracks, schools and colleges shut, and air travel facing significant disruptions, among other issues. But as rainfall traces its steps back, Mumbai is returning to normalcy and seeing the resumption of daily life.
