New Delhi, July 10: Three people were killed in Rohini after a four-story under-construction building collapsed under the weight of torrential rains that have paralyzed the national capital. The tragedy marks the worst incident of a severe overnight weather system that flooded major roadways, brought down trees, and prompted the India Meteorological Department to issue a red alert for subsequent downpours.
Describing the underlying weather system, an India Meteorological Department official asserted, “The cause of the rains in the region for the last two days was the northward shift of the seasonal monsoon trough in the direction of the Himalayan foothills.” The weather department further affirmed that heavy rains will likely persist in Delhi until the monsoon trough moves deeper toward the north.
The deluge transformed critical transit points into virtual streams, trapping long lines of vehicles in deep water and forcing commuters to wade through knee-deep flooding. Rainfall data collected at 8:30 am revealed that Lodhi Road received the highest concentration at 80.2 mm, followed closely by the Ridge at 77.8 mm, Safdarjung at 72.6 mm, Palam at 63 mm, and Ayanagar at 57.4 mm. Amidst the structural damage and gridlock, the city’s air quality remained a bright spot, registering a satisfactory index of 61.
Municipal emergency crews were deployed to tackle a surge of distress calls detailing severe waterlogging, power outages, and fallen trees. Severe flooding crippled movement in East Delhi, Sadar Bazar, Greater Kailash, Badarpur, Nasirpur, Teliwara, Mahavir Bazar, Swarup Nagar, Kushak Road, Munirka, Dwarka, Vikas Marg, and the vicinity of the New Delhi Railway Station. The flooding severely impacted major highways, stalling traffic on the Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, Delhi-Noida Expressway, and across National Highway-48 around Mahipalpur, Rajokri, and Dhaula Kuan.
The outer edges of the storm zone extended deep into Gurugram, triggering severe gridlock along the Delhi-Jaipur Highway. Commuters reported massive delays in the areas of Narsinghpur, Basai, Umang Bhardwaj Chowk, Kadipur, Sector 10A, and Sohna Road. Meanwhile, structural clearing crews worked to restore access in East of Kailash, where two large trees were uprooted outside the National Heart Institute and near the ISKCON temple, briefly cutting off traffic without causing any casualties.
