Delhi Rains: One Dead, 15 Houses Collapsed As Heavy Downpour Lashes City | What We Know So Far

The massive downpour caused waterlogging, uprooting trees, damaging vehicles and leading to traffic congestion in several parts, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD).

New Delhi: One person died while at least fifteen houses and other structures collapsed in Delhi on Saturday as the national capital was lashed with the season’s first “very heavy rain”—the highest in a day in past 20 years—on Saturday.

The massive downpour caused waterlogging, uprooting trees, damaging vehicles and leading to traffic congestion in several parts, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD).

According to the Delhi Fire Services Department, at least 15 houses collapsed due to incessant rains on Saturday. One person also died due in a rain-related mishap, they said.

Delhi | Following heavy rain in the city today, 15 houses collapsed and one person died: Delhi Fire Service

— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023

Monsoon mayhem

In Kalkaji area, several cars were damaged after a portion of wall of Deshbandhu college collapsed due to heavy rains. The rain coupled with strong wind uprooted several trees, one of them falling on a car in Delhi’s East of Kailash area.

In Delhi’s Karol Bagh, a woman was crushed to death after coming under the debris of a collapsed ceiling at a Tibbia College Society apartment. According to the police the ceiling collapsed on early Saturday morning due to incessant rains.

They said the deceased, identified as 58-year-old Ranjeet Kaur, was salvaging some items after a portion of the ceiling collapsed earlier today, but was crushed to death under the debris after the rest of the ceiling came crashing down.

karol bagh trouble #DelhiRains pic.twitter.com/EdSWbOlVtl

— Prince Luthra (@Michaelss227) July 8, 2023

Pedestrians and shopkeepers faced trouble due to waterlogging at commercial hub Connaught Place where pedestrians were seen wading through flood footpaths while commuters faced inconvenience due to waterlogged roads.

Connaught Place right now.
pic.twitter.com/3UhBqkiUKT

— Ahmed Khabeer احمد خبیر (@AhmedKhabeer_) July 8, 2023

The rain inconvenienced many commuters who faced hardship in reaching their destinations.

“Just a few hours of rain has resulted in such a horrible situation,” said a commuter as incessant rainfall caused waterlogging at outer circle of Connaught Place, news agency PTI reported.

#WATCH | Traffic jams in parts of Delhi after rain lashed the city

(Visuals from ITO) pic.twitter.com/rMlKZBg7D8

— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023

Delhi submerged

Commuters were forced to get off their two-wheelers and wade through waterlogged roads. Vehicles crawled and several of them even broke down as the rain-triggered waterlogging led to traffic chaos at several places in the national capital.

The PWD said it received 15 complaints of waterlogging since morning.

“Apart from these, we also received complaints about waterlogging on other stretches that are under the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) or other agencies. We forwarded those complaints. The situation is under control so far. The road around Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College in Delhi University’s north campus witnessed waterlogging, causing inconvenience to commuters,” a PWD official was quoted as saying by PTI.

The Safdarjung Observatory, the city’s primary weather station, recorded 126.1 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, the highest since the 24-hour rainfall of 133.4 mm on July 10, 2003, a senior IMD official said. The city logged an all-time high of 266.2 mm on July 21, 1958.

IMD sounds alert

Saturday’s was the season’s first heavy spell of rain. A ‘yellow alert’ is in place for Sunday, the IMD said.

The IMD uses four colour codes for weather warnings green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action).

The maximum temperature settled at 28.7 degrees Celsius, eight notches below the season’s average. The minimum temperature settled at 25 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season’s average, it said.

The relative humidity oscillated between 96 per cent and 100 per cent. The Met office predicted a generally cloudy sky with moderate to heavy rain for Sunday.

The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle around 30 and 24 degrees Celsius, respectively.

More rains predicted

“Light to moderate intensity rain would continue over many places of Delhi and NCR, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Assandh, Safidon, Panipat, Gohana, Gannaur, Meham, Sonipat, Rohtak, Kharkhoda, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Mattanhail, Jhajjar, Kosali, Sohana, Rewari (Haryana),” the Met office said in a tweet.

Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded in the ‘satisfactory’ category with a reading of 72 at 7 pm, Central Pollution Control Board data showed.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

(With PTI inputs)