THE Southwest monsoon brought much-needed relief from the lingering heat across several parts of the country but also left in its wake a trail of death and disruption on Thursday, with at least six people killed in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra. Heavy showers triggered flash floods, landslides, traffic disruptions and weather alerts across several States. Three persons were killed in separate rain-related accidents in Shimla and Chamba districts, while one death was reported in Mandi district, according to State Emergency Operations Centre data. A bus conductor named Gyan Chand, a resident of Mandi district, was killed in the Udaipur area of Lahaul and Spiti district after falling stones from a hillside hit him.

 

Heavy rainfall also triggered flash floods in Chamba district, washing away a temporary wooden bridge near a temple in the Bharmour subdivision and leaving around 30 pilgrims stranded, officials said. In Mumbai, a 55-year-old man died after falling into an open manhole amid heavy rain, prompting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to suspend four civic officials and order a high-level inquiry. CCTV footage captured the man, identified as Shaikh, talking on his mobile phone before he walked past a parked tempo and disappeared into the uncovered manhole. The cover had been temporarily removed by three contractual workers carrying out maintenance work. The workers lowered a ladder into the manhole in a bid to rescue him, but recovered only his umbrella and slippers.

 

Officials said the strong flow of water made it impossible to immediately trace the direction in which he had been swept away. It was the second rain-related death reported in Mumbai this week. Heavy rain since early Thursday inundated several parts of Mumbai.