Malaysians in monsoon-hit Mumbai told worst to come

A tree flattens a car during the monsoon rains in Mumbai. Reuterspix

NEW DELHI: Some 100 Malaysians in Mumbai have been told to stay indoors due to the heavy monsoon rains that have paralysed India's largest city.

Train services, which form the main mode of transport for 21 million people in the city and its suburbs, remained crippled with authorities seeking police and army assistance in relief work with two deaths recorded so far.

Malaysian consul-general Eldeen Husaini Mohd Hashim said the Malaysians were advised to stay indoors to avoid any inconvenience while efforts were made to contact 50 to 60 unregistered Malaysians.

He said they would be advised on precautionary steps they should take if the condition worsened.

Malaysians needing further information on travel advisory or assistance can contact the consulate office at [phone] or [phone], or email: [e-mail].

Bernama reported that the government expects more downpours in the next 24 hours.

Most parts of the city were without clean water and power, forcing most commercial areas to close for business for the second day in a row.

Officials said domestic and international flights were delayed and some flights were forced to be rescheduled.

Maharashtra chief minister Davendra Fadnavis said high tides and clogged drains worsened efforts to pump out storm water into the sea.

With most parts of the city located below sea level, experts warned that it will take days before the water can be completely be drained out.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said the worst was not over with 300mm of rainfall being recorded on Friday alone.

The department said in normal circumtances, such volume of rainfall would be recorded normally over a period of 15 days.

Experts say such intensity of rainfall was difficult for any city in the world to handle with several pump stations still under construction. - Bernama