Heavy rains batter Mumbai and Pune: 10 dead, trains cancelled, and highways shut

Heavy monsoon rains have brought normal life to a standstill across Mumbai, Pune and surrounding districts, disrupting transport and killing at least 10 people in rain-related incidents.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Raigad and Palghar, warning of continued heavy rainfall.

The Mumbai-Pune rail corridor was severely disrupted after multiple landslides hit the Bhor Ghat section between Karjat and Lonavala in the early hours of Monday. Large boulders and debris fell onto the tracks, affecting all three railway lines and forcing the cancellation or diversion of several trains, including the Deccan Queen, Indrayani Express, Intercity Express, Deccan Express and Sinhagad Express.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said disaster management teams were working to clear the tracks despite the continuing rain.

Expressway shut after landslides

Road traffic between Mumbai and Pune also came to a halt after landslides blocked sections of both the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the old Mumbai-Pune Highway.

A major landslide near Tunnel 2 on the expressway buried the Mumbai-bound carriageway under debris, while flooding made alternate routes through Maval and Tamhini Ghat unsafe. Authorities have advised people to avoid non-essential travel until conditions improve.

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Ten killed in rain-related incidents

The heavy rains have turned deadly across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Six people were killed after a three-storey chawl collapsed in Mankhurd. A 63-year-old man died in Kurla when a tree fell on a roadside shop, while an 11-year-old child lost their life after a tree struck a school bus in Chembur.

In Saki Naka, one person drowned after falling into an open manhole concealed by floodwaters. Two young men also drowned at the restricted Pandavkada Waterfall in Kharghar.

Schools closed, local trains delayed

While Mumbai's suburban train network remains operational, services are running behind schedule due to waterlogging. Central Railway trains are delayed by six to eight minutes, while Western Railway services are running 10 to 15 minutes late.

Authorities have declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Navi Mumbai. The Mumbai Dabbawalas have also suspended their services for the day, while NDRF teams remain deployed across vulnerable areas to carry out rescue and relief operations.