Mumbai: Toddlers among six killed as monsoon rains lash Indian city
A month's worth of rain fell in one day in the city - more than 1,200 people have died in floods in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Wednesday 30 August 2017 19:09, UK
Torrential monsoon rains have brought Mumbai to a halt - destroying homes and leaving thousands of people stranded.
Police say a woman and two toddlers were killed after houses collapsed in the Indian city's suburbs, while three other people died after being swept away by floodwater.
Commuters in the city of 20 million waded through swirling waist-high waters after the financial hub's transport network was paralysed - with trains cancelled and bus services suspended.
Footage from one train station showed dozens of people standing on platforms as water gushed on to the tracks.
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![People walk along a flooded street during heavy rain showers in Mumbai]()
Image: Commuters walk through waterlogged roads after monsoon rains hit India's financial capital, Mumbai -
![Commuters walk through water-logged roads after rains in Mumbai]()
Image: Police say a woman and two toddlers were killed after houses collapsed in the suburbs. Three other people died after being swept away by floodwater. -
![Flooding in some low-lying areas caused vehicle pile-ups]()
Image: Flooding in some low-lying areas has caused vehicle pile-ups -
![People walk through a partially flooded street at a residential area in Mumbai]()
Image: At least 1,200 people have died across South Asia -
![A passenger bus moves through a water-logged road during rains in Mumbai]()
Image: A bus tries to navigate a water-logged road in Mumbai. Swipe through for more pictures -
![Wading through a flooded street in Mumbai]()
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![Indian girls wade through a flooded street during heavy rain in Mumbai]()
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![Wading through a flooded street during heavy rain in Mumbai]()
Many workers had no choice but to stay in their offices overnight, with several companies making arrangements to provide food and bedding for those unable to travel home.
Almost a month's worth of rainfall fell in a single day, with all schools and colleges remaining shut on Wednesday amid forecasts of further heavy downpours.
Mumbai struggles to cope with monsoon rains every year, prompting critics to accuse the government of poor planning.
The city is increasingly vulnerable to storms because plastic waste is clogging drains and waterways, with unabated construction in coastal areas and floodplains exacerbating the problem.
Navy helicopters have been kept on standby, with flood rescue teams and divers also ready for deployment.
Over recent weeks, across India, Bangladesh and Nepal in the worst floods to strike South Asia for years.
India's monsoon season runs from June to September.
Catastrophic flooding in 2005 killed more than 500 people in Mumbai, and most of them had been living in shantytown slums.