A man was swept into an open manhole and is feared dead after falling into it during heavy rainfall in Mumbai on Thursday, in an incident that has once again raised concerns over civic safety during the monsoon.
The incident occurred on Khairani Road, a key arterial route connecting Andheri, Saki Naka and Jogeshwari with the eastern suburbs of Kurla and Ghatkopar.
According to preliminary information, the man was walking through the waterlogged stretch while reportedly speaking on his mobile phone when he unknowingly stepped into an uncovered manhole. His umbrella and slippers were later found near the spot.
A large-scale search operation involving the Mumbai Fire Brigade, Mumbai Police and the 108 emergency ambulance service was launched immediately to trace him.
Officials said the manhole cover had been removed as part of maintenance work being carried out by a private contractor.
The tragedy comes just two days after another rain-related incident claimed the life of an 11-year-old boy in Mumbai's Chembur area, where a tree was uprooted and crashed onto a moving school bus, injuring four other students.
Following that incident, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) suspended one of its officials after a preliminary inquiry found prima facie negligence in the handling of tree maintenance.
Meanwhile, relentless rainfall continued to batter Mumbai on Thursday, causing widespread waterlogging across several parts of the city, including Dadar, Parel, Hindmata, Charkop, Worli, Goregaon and Andheri.
According to the BMC, several locations recorded more than 200 mm of rainfall over the previous 24 hours.
The eastern suburbs received the highest average rainfall at 189 mm, followed by 172 mm in the island city and 165 mm in the western suburbs.
Among the worst-affected locations were Santacruz SWM Workshop and the S Ward Office in Bhandup, each recording 238.8 mm of rainfall. Other areas registering exceptionally heavy showers included Powai, Vikhroli, Mulund, Andheri, Parel and Prabhadevi.
The downpour also affected Mumbai's suburban railway network, with waterlogging on tracks leading to delays of around 10 to 15 minutes on several local train services during the morning rush hour.
Railway authorities, however, maintained that train operations were continuing "smoothly and normally".
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall across Mumbai and its suburbs, warning that isolated places could receive extremely heavy showers through Thursday night and into the early hours of Friday.
The weather office has also predicted gusty winds of 50 to 60 kmph, while the BMC has advised residents to remain cautious in view of changing tidal conditions. A low tide of 1.82 metres is expected on Thursday evening, followed by a high tide of 3.71 metres in the early hours of Friday.
The southwest monsoon arrived in Mumbai on June 23, nearly two weeks later than its usual onset, but has since intensified, bringing persistent rain and disrupting normal life across the city.
