Pre-monsoon showers lash city, claim 3 lives

Mumbai: A pre-monsoon thunderstorm and strong winds lashed the city on Saturday night, leaving in their wake the deaths of a 32-year-old man and two children, who succumbed to electrocution in Mulund. Another child was severely injured in a similar incident in Bhandup. Meanwhile, civic officials and locals rescued two boys who had fallen into an open nullah in Malwani within an hour of the incident. The children are unharmed and are receiving treatment.

The electrocution victims, Anil Yadav and nine-year-old Zara Yunus Khan, were declared dead after being brought to Agarwal Hospital in Mulund. In similar incidents, which occurred minutes apart at Bhandup, two children — Om Appa Phadtare (10) and Rohan Sutar (12) — were severely injured and sent to a private hospital immediately. Phadtare, however, was declared dead.

According to Indian Meteorological Depa-rtment (IMD) data from the past 24 hours, several parts of the city recorded 0.3 mm of rainfall. Apart from causalities, the city also witnessed heavy traffic jam and water-logging in several areas. Local train services were reportedly hit. The IMD has issued an advisory predicting thunderstorms accompanied with lightning, gusty winds and rain at isolated places in Thane district.

In the western suburbs, heavy showers drenched Vile Parle, Andheri, Jogeshwari, Juhu, Goregaon, Malad, Oshiwara, Kandivali, Borivali, Mira Road, Dahisar and Bhayander.