At least 4 dead in first heavy Delhi rains, 10 houses collapse near ITO

Low-lying areas were inundated, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal says it's not the time for 'blame game'

Rains in Delhi claimed four lives on Sunday, prompting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tried to defend his government by blaming the lack of preparation on the coronavirus pandemic.

As the Delhi BJP charged that the very first spell of rains "exposed" the AAP government's preparations, Kejriwal said a "blame-game" should be avoided.

Many low-lying areas were inundated, the traffic came to a standstill on important roads, and at least 10 houses collapsed in a slum area in Anna Nagar, which is behind the WHO Headquarters near ITO, displacing the residents.

A 56-year-old man from Uttarakhand drowned after his mini-truck was stuck under the waterlogged Minto Bridge in central Delhi. Police said Kundan Kumar was trying to navigate his vehicle through the waterlogged underpass but the vehicle got stuck in the neck-deep water. His body was found floating on the street.

Traffic jam at ITO road after heavy rainfall in New Delhi on Sunday.

An eight-year-old boy died after he fell in a roadside ditch in Saurabh Vihar in southeast Delhi, police said. A 28-year-old man who worked at a scrap shop in Sriniwaspuri in Gandhi Camp died in a similar accident outside the shop.

Police said their inquiry found that the area was filled with up to three-ft-deep water following the rainfall and the man fell into a pothole. His co-workers lifted him but he was unconscious and declared brought dead at AIIMS.

The fourth accident happened in northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri.

A 56-year-old man lost balance on a slippery road and hit a cemented electric pole. He was taken to BJRM Hospital but was declared brought dead, police said.

Commuters drive on a road during heavy rain showers, in Vijayawada on Sunday.

Several residents of a slum area in Anna Nagar were displaced as over 10 houses collapsed following heavy rains that lashed the national capital on Sunday morning. The colony is located behind the under-construction WHO headquarters in ITO and is next to a drain. Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service and National Disaster Response Force teams rushed to the spot.

According to the Delhi Fire Service, a call was received about a house collapse around 8 am. As heavy rains started lashing the area on Saturday night, some of the people started vacating their houses.

The drain started overflowing in the morning and swept away the houses, trees and shops in the area. There were no reports of any casualty in the area.