Rain paralyses Mumbai as water-logged roads, rail bring financial hub to halt

Source: Xinhua| 2019-07-02 22:15:21|Editor: Wu Qin
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MUMBAI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- India's financial capital Mumbai was paralyzed after heavy rains pouring over the city for the last four days brought the city to a complete halt on Tuesday and forcing the state government to declare public holiday.

At least 21 deaths were reported and another 114-odd injured in an unfortunate wall collapse on adjacent huts while two persons died of suffocation in a water logged car in another incident in the city.

The disrupted road and rail network due to water logging in the city after Monday's downpour forced the state government of Maharashtra, which has Mumbai as its capital to declare a public holiday with only essential services to function.

On Monday, Mumbai received 375 mm of rainfall making it the maximum July downpour that the city has seen over a 24-hour period, breaking the record since 1974.

The international airport in the city had to shut down its main runway which was blocked by one aircraft from a domestic flight that skidded and overshot the runway. Mumbai airport officials indicated that it could take up to 48 hours to re-open the main runway as a 150-metre-ramp is being prepared to help move the Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

A secondary runway is operational but around 55 flights have been delayed, while 52 flights have been cancelled.

While the stock markets were open, schools and educational institutions were shut and so were private offices as the state government thought it prudent to declare the day as public holiday.

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