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NEW DELHI: Heavy rainfall on Wednesday evening brought Delhi to a standstill, two people were killed and two individuals suffered injuries in separate incidents. The rain inundated large parts of the city, causing severe traffic jams, and leaving roads submerged. The IMD issued its highest 'red' warning, and the National Flash Flood Guidance Bulletin listed Delhi as a "concern area."
A 22-year-old woman and her child drowned in a waterlogged drain in Delhi's Ghazipur area, Tanuja and her three-year-old son Priyansh had gone to a weekly market near Khoda Colony, they slipped and fell into the waterlogged under-construction drain around 8 pm, a police officer said.
The pair were brought out with the help of divers and cranes and taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital where doctors declared them dead, the officer added.
In north Delhi's Sabji Mandi area, one person suffered critical injuries in a house collapse following the torrential rain.
A Delhi Fire Services official said they received a call at 8:57 pm about the collapse of a house in the Sabji Mandi area close to Ghanta Ghar near Robin Cinema. Five fire tenders were rushed to the spot and one man was rescued from the rubble.
He was taken to a hospital in a critical condition, the official said.
In the third incident, a woman was injured in a wall collapse in southwest Delhi's Vasant Kunj area.
A car was also damaged, the official said.
Some cars were damaged when a wall collapsed in central Delhi's Daryaganj following the heavy rain, he further said.
The weather office advised residents to stay indoors, secure windows and doors, and avoid unnecessary travel. Visuals showed extensive waterlogging in Connaught Place, Kamla Nagar, Qutub Minar, and other key areas. Traffic police issued advisories to avoid affected roads and provided alternative routes.
All Delhi schools will remain closed on August 1 due to the forecast of heavy rain, announced Education Minister Atishi.
The city's main weather station, Safdarjung, recorded 79.2 mm of rain from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM, with other areas like Mayur Vihar receiving 119 mm. The downpour led to a house collapse in Sabji Mandi, north Delhi, with five fire tenders deployed.
The storm caused significant flight disruptions at Delhi Airport, diverting at least 10 flights to Jaipur and Lucknow. Airlines have warned of potential additional disruptions.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has urged officers to address waterlogging issues and minimize public inconvenience. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi reported multiple complaints about waterlogging and fallen trees. The IMD forecasts continued rain in Delhi until August 5.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted intermittent light to very light rain, with occasional moderate to intense spells (2-3 cm/hr), over the next six hours in Delhi NCR.
Delhi Lt Governor, in a post on X, said he cautioned officers to remain alert in light of the heavy downpour.
"Apart from ensuring minimum inconvenience to people in general, they are advised to specifically address issues at sites prone to waterlogging, including coaching centres," he said in the post.
Multiple areas, including Lutyen's Delhi, Kashmere Gate and Rajinder Nagar, among others, were inundated following the heavy rain.
Visuals from south Delhi's Qutub Minar area showed vehicles wading through waterlogged roads while traffic police personnel tried to manage vehicular movement.
Visuals showed waterlogged streets at Connaught Place and in the Kamla Nagar area near Delhi University's North Campus, besides vehicles wading through waterlogged roads in south Delhi's Qutub Minar area.
Multiple areas, including in Lutyens' Delhi, Kashmere Gate, Karol Bagh and Pragati Maidan, were marooned following the heavy downpour.
Old Rajinder Nagar, where students were protesting the death of three UPSC aspirants due to flooding in a coaching institute basement, was under knee-deep water.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi said it received four complaints about waterlogging and three calls about fallen trees from different parts of Delhi.
Power cuts were also reported across the city.
In Old Delhi's Daryaganj area, the boundary wall of a school collapsed upon cars parked outside while the road beneath caved in.
In South Delhi's Chhatarpur area, slippers were seen floating on waterlogged streets as vehicles drove by.
Many parts of the city were inundated following the spell of heavy rainfall on Wednesday evening, causing massive traffic snarls in several areas. The traffic police have issued alerts about the routes affected and urged people to plan their journeys accordingly.
Taking to the social media platform 'X', the police said traffic movement was hit in the carriageway from Moolchand towards Chirag Delhi and in both the carriageways on Anuvrat Marg due to heavy waterlogging.
Vehicular movement was also affected on the Outer Ring Road in the carriageway from Chirag Delhi towards Nehru Place due to waterlogging under the Savitri flyover, it said in a post.
According to an advisory, due to waterlogging at the Chatta Rail Chowk, traffic movement has been hit on Syama Prasad Mukherjee Marg. Traffic was being diverted from the Chatta Rail red light and Lothian Road.
Commuters coming from NS Marg towards ISBT Kashmiri Gate can take Kodia Pul, Mori Gate Boulevard Road, the traffic police said. It also said that vehicular movement was affected on Mahatma Gandhi Marg due to waterlogging at Nigam Bodh Ghat.
Traffic was being diverted from Chandgi Ram Akhara. Police also mentioned alternative routes and diversions imposed for commuters to consider given the waterlogging and traffic snarls.
Visuals showed waterlogged streets at Connaught Place and in the Kamla Nagar area near Delhi University's North Campus. Nitin Gupta, president of the Kamla Nagar Traders' Association, said, "Waterlogging is normal in the area during the rainy season. Water has also entered several shops in the market.
The national capital on Wednesday recorded a maximum temperature of 37.8 degrees Celsius.
On Tuesday, Delhi recorded its highest maximum temperature for the month this year, with the mercury settling at 39.3 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal.
According to the IMD, the humidity level stood at 63 per cent at 5:30 pm.
The city recorded a minimum temperature of 30.4 degrees Celsius, 3.3 notches above normal.
The IMD has predicted a wet spell till August 5.
At least 10 flights that were to land at the Delhi airport were diverted on Wednesday evening due to heavy rains in the national capital. An official said that at least 10 flights were diverted at the airport after 1930 hours due to bad weather. Of these, eight were diverted to Jaipur and two flights to Lucknow.
On social media platform X, airlines said that flights might get affected due to the bad weather. Vistara said flight UK998 from Pune to Delhi has been diverted to Lucknow due to bad weather at the Delhi airport.
Flights to and from Delhi may get affected due to bad weather this evening. "Guests are advised to start early for the airport, as slow traffic and waterlogging may delay movement", Air India said.
SpiceJet said that due to "bad weather (heavy rain) in Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may get affected". "We have a special announcement straight from the heavenly skies! The rain gods have decided to shower #Delhi with their blessings tonight. As a result, we're expecting heavy rainfall throughout the night," IndiGo said in a post on X and asked passengers to check the status of their flights.