New Delhi: Four people were killed Friday morning when a house collapsed in the national capital following heavy rains and strong winds that affected flight operations and disrupted traffic due to waterlogging in many parts of the city.
Three flights were diverted and over 100 flights were delayed at the Delhi airport as thunderstorms and gusty winds disrupted operations.
Three children and a woman died after a house collapsed in Delhi, where a red alert has been issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
“We received a call regarding a house collapse in Kharkari Nahar village in Najafgarh at 5.25 am. We deployed multiple teams on the spot and four people were rescued from the rubble,” a Delhi Fire Services official said.
They were rushed to a nearby hospital where they were declared dead, he said.
“We have informed police about the matter,” he added.
Visuals from several areas showed uprooted trees and people stuck in waterlogged roads. Videos surfaced on social media that showed a car half-submerged on Minto Road.
Minto Road, Major Somnath Marg in RK Puram, and Khanpur were particularly affected in the rain.
According to IMD data, in the last three hours, the Safdarjung weather station, the city’s primary observatory, recorded 77mm of rainfall. Lodhi road recorded 78 mm, Palam recorded 30 mm, Najafgarh 19.5 mm, and Pitampura 32 mm of rainfall.
Trees were uprooted in many parts of Delhi that also saw a dust storm early morning.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which operates the airport, in a post on X at 5.20 am, said some flights were affected owing to inclement weather conditions.
In another post at 7.25 am, DIAL said the thunderstorm has passed but there is some impact on flight operations due to adverse weather conditions.
An official said two flights that were to land at the Delhi airport were diverted to Jaipur and one to Ahmedabad.
More than 100 flights were delayed, according to data from flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.
The weather department has issued a red alert for Delhi, urging people to remain extremely vigilant and take necessary precautions.
The IMD has predicted moderate to heavy rain, along with moderate to severe thunderstorms and wind speeds reaching 70-80 kmph in parts of Delhi-NCR. Light rain is likely in some other areas of the region.
The weather department has warned of severe weather over Delhi-NCR during morning hours, with possible uprooting of trees, damage to power lines, standing crops, and vulnerable structures. Hail may also injure people or cattle in open areas.
As a precaution, people are advised to stay indoors, avoid sheltering under trees, unplug electronic appliances, and stay away from water bodies and objects that conduct electricity.
