Man swept away amid heavy rains in Thane

Thane, Sep 28 (PTI) A man has been swept away in the swollen Ulhas river following heavy rains in Maharashtra's Thane district, officials said on Sunday.

The heavy showers in Thane, which received more than 100 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, and in neighbouring Palghar district caused waterlogging at several places.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘red alert’, warning of extremely heavy rainfall in Thane, Palghar, Mumbai and Raigad districts on Sunday.

A man was swept away while he and two others went for a swim in the Ulhas river in Thane's Badlapur area on Saturday, local civic body's chief fire officer Damodar Vangad told PTI.

The fire brigade was informed about the incident six hours late, he said, adding that efforts were still on to trace the man.

In view of the 'red alert', both Thane and Palghar district administrations appealed to people to remain cautious.

Heavy downpour was reported across the region, leading to waterlogging in several areas.

Thane Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said several incidents of flooding and tree fall were reported since Saturday morning.

In the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Sunday, Thane city recorded 115.79 mm rainfall, he said.

Heavy rains also lashed Palghar district, resulting in waterlogging in several places.

The collectors of the two districts were closely monitoring the situation. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other rescue teams have been kept in readiness to address any emergency, as per officials. PTI COR GK