India: Mumbai rains paralyze city, 6 feared killed

INDIA: TORRENTIAL monsoon winds in Mumbai saw the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issue a red alert of very heavy rain for Mumbai for Wednesday, Indian media reports said.

Various airlines also issued advisories for passengers, warning that flight operations to and from the city were being affected by delays.

On Tuesday, heavy rains brought India’s financial hub to a standstill, disrupting Mumbai’s suburban rail network and inundating various areas around the city, forcing people to wade through flooded streets after a fifth straight day of downpours.

News channel NDTV, citing local officials, said six people have died due to the heavy rains so far.

Parts of city gets more than 200 millimeters of rain

According to the IMD, some areas of the city received more than 200 millimeters (about 7.9 inches) of rainfall between 8.30 a.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Matheran, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) outside of Mumbai, saw 382.5 mm of rain, the IMD reported.

At least 782 passengers were rescued late Tuesday after two overcrowded Monorail trains stalled between stations when power and air-conditioning failed, sparking panic.

In the Kurla area of the city, commuters were seen climbing onto bus roofs to escape waist-deep water.