Deadly Monsoon Batters India, Multiple States on High Alert
India is grappling with one of the most destructive days of the monsoon season, as heavy rains on Thursday claimed at least ten lives across several states. The downpour triggered widespread flooding, building collapses, lightning strikes, and traffic disruptions, prompting authorities to issue red and orange alerts across a wide swathe of the country.
Delhi and NCR Face Paralysis
In the national capital, the death toll from a building collapse in Rohini rose to three. Delhi experienced extensive waterlogging, paralyzing major roads and areas including Vikas Marg, Sangam Vihar, New Delhi railway station, and ITO. Trucks and cars were partially submerged in Alipur, and traffic ground to a halt on key arteries. Despite the chaos, the heavy rainfall, exceeding 160 mm in parts, led to Delhi recording its cleanest air since September 2023. In Gurugram, a section of a luxury apartment balcony collapsed, though no injuries were reported, and the Delhi Fire Service responded to multiple tree fall incidents.
The wider National Capital Region (NCR) also suffered significantly. Noida sectors 16, 33, 12, and 62, along with stretches of the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, were inundated. Severe waterlogging near the Ghazipur border caused long traffic snarls on the Delhi-Ghaziabad route. In Ghaziabad's Vasundhara, a road section caved in next to an under-construction basement, swallowing a parked car and a scooter. Ghaziabad district administration declared a holiday for government schools.
Uttar Pradesh Reports Seven Fatalities
Uttar Pradesh recorded seven rain-related deaths on Thursday. Two women were fatally struck by lightning in Sant Kabir Nagar district, and a 14-year-old boy died from a lightning strike in Kushinagar. In Bulandshahr, two people died and four were injured when a wall collapsed onto makeshift tents. A man died and his two sons were seriously injured in Shamli when a tin shed wall fell on them. Tragically, a three-year-old girl drowned after being swept into a waterlogged drain outside her Ghaziabad home. The IMD has issued a red alert for parts of western UP, forecasting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours, with widespread rain expected across the state until July 11.
Gujarat, Himachal, Uttarakhand Grapple with Aftermath
In Gujarat's Surat, floodwaters slowly receded after Wednesday's battering, but not before six more bodies were recovered, bringing the city's rain-related death toll to 17 over recent days. Meanwhile, rescue operations continued at a building collapse site near Pune, where one more body was recovered, and eight people remain feared trapped.
Himachal Pradesh faced severe disruption as a 100-foot iron bridge in Kinnaur district was completely submerged, cutting off access to Lippa village. A landslide near Maling Nallah on the old Hindustan Tibet road blocked traffic for hours and damaged houses, a cowshed, and orchards. The Shimla Met Office issued a yellow alert for heavy rain in isolated places until July 15. In Uttarakhand, traffic was disrupted on 107 routes, including nine state highways, due to landslides and rising water levels. A red alert was issued for seven districts, including Dehradun, leading to school closures for Classes 1 to 12 in four districts.
Northeast and South Also Affected
Fresh floods and landslides struck six districts in Arunachal Pradesh—Keyi Panyor, Upper Siang, Tirap, Changlang, Papum Pare, and Upper Subansiri—damaging houses, roads, and crops. An inter-ministerial central team is assessing the damage and evaluating the need for central financial assistance.
In Kerala, the death toll from the Wayanad landslide rose to six after three more bodies were recovered, with two people still missing. The IMD issued an orange alert for Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Wayanad, and yellow alerts for six other districts. The southwest monsoon has now advanced to cover the entire country, with India recording a significant surplus of 101.9 mm against a normal of 73.8 mm for the first nine days of July. More rain is expected across multiple states through the coming week.