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1st LD Writethru: Heavy rains bring Mumbai to standstill

Xinhua, June 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

Heavy rains since late Thursday night brought Mumbai to a standstill Friday, disrupting rain and bus services and inundating many low-lying areas.

Authorities have issued a flood alert and asked people to stay indoors as more showers have been forecast during the day, along with a high tide in the afternoon.

Thousands of commuters got stranded as most train services have been suspended as tracks were waterlogged. Over 80 lakh people commute by train that is considered to be the lifeline of the city.

Bus services have also been hit, particularly in low-lying areas which were inundated due to heavy rains.

Several schools and offices have also been shut because of the rains, a senior official of Mumbai's civic body told the media.

Local TV channels showed footage of waterlogged roads and water getting into several homes in low-lying areas.

For years, the civic body has not been able to solve Mumbai's waterlogging problem, despite giving assurances before every monsoon. Endi