New Delhi: Rains lashed parts of the national Capital early Sunday, bringing much-needed respite from the sweltering heat that had gripped Delhi over the past few days. However, the downpour also led to tragedy, as two men sleeping outside a roadside food kiosk died of electrocution after a tree — weakened by heavy rain and strong winds — collapsed on an overhead power line in southwest Delhi’s RK Puram area, police said.
Some areas also reported power outages following the rainfall, officials said.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm activity was recorded between 2:30 am and 4:30 am.
Safdarjung reported 33.5 mm of rain, Lodhi Road 32 mm, while Pusa recorded 27.5 mm of rain during this period, the IMD said.
At Palam Airport, wind speeds reached up to 56 kmph at 4:30 am, as visibility dropped from 4,000 metres at 2 am to 1,500 metres at 3 am, it added.
The minimum temperature in the city settled at 29.6 degrees Celsius on Sunday, while the relative humidity was recorded at 68 per cent at 8.30 am, the IMD said. The weather department has forecast a fresh spell of rain for Sunday.
The maximum temperature in Delhi on Sunday settled at 41.8 degrees Celsius, 1.9 notches above the season’s average, the IMD said
Delhi’s air quality was recorded in the ‘moderate’ category at 9 am, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 142, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
Meanwhile, the deceased have been identified as Ravinder (30) and Bharat (25), both natives of Madhubani in Bihar and worked at the roadside eatery in Sector 1 in RK Puram, they said. Police said they received a PCR call at around 4.30 am. The caller, Sunil (45), who owns the eatery where the victims worked, informed police about the tree collapse and subsequent the electrocution. Due to the rain and storm, he said, a large tree fell on the kiosk, snapping an overhead electric wire. The two men, who were sleeping outside the food kiosk, and a stray dog were electrocuted.
Emergency teams including police, fire brigade personnel, and a BSES crew reached the spot, said a police officer.
“Both the men were rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where doctors declared them brought dead,” he said, adding that a forensic team and a BSES inspector have secured the site.
Meanwhile, Delhi Fire Services said it received a call regarding a fallen tree. On arrival, it was revealed that a live power line had fallen on the victims, killing them. One fire tender was sent to the spot immediately and the police were informed. No immediate reaction was received from the BSES. The kiosk owner, Sunil Kumar, blamed the electricity department for not taking timely action despite raising several complaints about the dangling wires.
“I run a small food dhaba here. The overhead power wires were in a bad shape. We had complained many times to the electricity department to check the wires and fix them. There was a huge storm last night. Because of it, a tree fell and broke the wires, and two lives were lost. Both my workers —Ravinder and Bharat — died on the spot, along with a stray dog. We were all sleeping right here on the footpath last night,” Sunil said. He demanded strict action against the officers responsible and demanded proper compensation for the family of the victims.
Anup, a neighbour, said the tree fell as it could not withstand the storm. “If it had happened in the morning, it would have been a disaster. It is a busy road and a lot of cars stop here. It is really sad that two people lost their lives. We will help their family members,” he said.
Ansh, a resident of RK Puram, said the electricity wires were attached to the tree. So, when it fell, all the wires fell on people sleeping beneath the tree. “It is such a tragic incident. Now both the roads are blocked. The clearing work is going on,” Ansh said.
Police said they are trying to contact the victims’ family members, to whom the bodies will be handed over after post mortem.
Meanwhile, a 100-feet tall mobile tower collapsed in south Delhi’s Safdarjung Enclave early Sunday, police said. No one was injured due to the collapse, they added. According to the residents of Block B2, the incident occurred around 4 am when strong winds accompanied by rain hit the area.
Former AAP MLA from Malviya Nagar, Somnath Bharti, visited the site later and interacted with the residents. “A mobile tower, erected in B2 Safdarjung Enclave in spite of heavy protests by the residents and myself, fell yesterday night. What if this had fallen in day time or towards the buildings of B2? Such callousness is criminal!,” Bharti said in a post on X. With agency inputs