Maharashtra monsoon: Tree falls kill 3, injure 2 in Mumbai; Pune on red alert

Maharashtra continued to reel under intense monsoon activity on Sunday, with heavy rainfall disrupting normal life across Mumbai, Pune and neighbouring districts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that the wet spell is far from over, prompting authorities to shut educational institutions, intensify emergency preparedness and urge people to avoid unnecessary travel.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared a holiday on Monday for all government, private and municipal schools and colleges after the IMD issued an Orange Alert for Mumbai, forecasting heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds.

While educational institutions will remain closed, government and private offices will function as usual. The civic body has appealed to residents to step out only if absolutely necessary and follow official advisories as adverse weather conditions are expected to persist.

The decision comes after several days of relentless rainfall that led to waterlogging, traffic disruptions, suburban train delays and multiple rain-related emergencies across the city.

PUNE ON RED ALERT, SCHOOLS CLOSED

Pune district has been placed under a Red Alert for July 6, with the IMD warning of extremely heavy rainfall.

District Collector Jitendra Dudi announced a holiday for all schools across Pune district as a precautionary measure. He urged residents to avoid venturing out unless absolutely necessary and advised people to stay away from rivers, streams and other vulnerable locations.

The administration has also asked citizens to strictly follow advisories issued by local authorities as heavy rainfall is expected to continue.

RAIN DISRUPTS DAILY LIFE ACROSS MUMBAI REGION

Heavy showers over the past few days have severely affected normal life across Mumbai and its metropolitan region. Several low-lying areas witnessed waterlogging, while road traffic remained slow due to inundated streets.

Strong winds and continuous rainfall also resulted in numerous tree-fall incidents, house collapses and infrastructure damage. Railway services on parts of the suburban network were affected after water accumulated on tracks, while civic teams remained deployed to clear fallen trees and restore normalcy.

FIVE RAIN-RELATED DEATHS REPORTED IN MUMBAI

The ongoing spell of heavy rain has turned deadly in Mumbai, with at least five fatalities reported since the onset of the monsoon.

On Sunday, 18-year-old Kumar Hasan Raza Jahangir Alam Syed was killed after a tree branch fell on him in Aarey Colony, Goregaon (East), while he was travelling with friends during heavy rain.

Earlier the same day, 63-year-old Yunus Kundawala lost his life after a large tree collapsed on his shop in Kurla West amid intense rainfall.

The monsoon had already claimed two lives in previous incidents. An 11-year-old schoolboy was killed in Chembur after a peepal tree collapsed onto a school bus, while another man died after falling into an open manhole during heavy rain in Sakinaka.

Apart from the fatalities, strong winds uprooted trees in several parts of the city, damaging parked vehicles and disrupting traffic.

AUTHORITY ON HIGH ALERT

With the IMD forecasting continued heavy rainfall over Maharashtra, civic agencies remain on alert to respond to emergencies. Disaster management teams have been deployed across vulnerable locations, while residents have been advised to remain indoors during periods of intense rainfall, avoid flooded roads and stay away from trees, hoardings and waterlogged areas.

Officials said the weather system remains active and further spells of heavy to very heavy rainfall are likely over the coming days, keeping authorities on high alert across the state.

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With inputs from ANI and PTI