Two die in central Delhi after heavy showers

Heavy rain in Delhi leads to tragic deaths, sparking political blame game between parties over waterlogging and civic infrastructure.

Two deaths, including that of a 15-year-old boy, were reported from central Delhi after the city received heavy rain on Friday.

While Sourabh, 15, drowned in a pool of rainwater by the roadside in Chanakyapuri, Seema, 40, got electrocuted in the lane outside her house in Ranjeet Nagar.

The weather observatory in the Ridge area, which is close to Chanakyapuri, recorded 37.6 mm of rainfall between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. on Friday. However, the Safdarjung observatory, considered Delhi’s base weather station, did not receive any rain in this period.

The death in Chanakyapuri prompted a political slugfest. While the BJP and the Congress blamed the Delhi government for persistent waterlogging and crumbling civic infrastructure, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said the death “occurred in the area under the management of the Central government” and asked the BJP to stop indulging in “blame-game”.

A senior officer said Sourabh, a resident of Vivekananda Camp, was playing with his friends when he slipped into the pool of rainwater by the roadside.

The officer said they suspect that the boy drowned as he got stuck under a car parked near the pool of stagnant water.

“Sourabh’s friends informed his family members. They reached the spot immediately, pulled the boy out of the water, and rushed him to a hospital. However, the hospital declared him dead on arrival,” the officer said.