Two children drowned after falling into a deep rainwater ditch in the New Usmanpur area of Delhi on Friday. The victims, aged 8 and 10 and residents of Som Bazaar, Gamri, were playing when the incident occurred around 5:00 pm. According to ANI reports, the bodies were retrieved and initially taken to JPC Hospital, where they were pronounced dead. They have since been transferred to GTB Hospital for a postmortem examination.
"Two children died after drowning in a deep ditch which was filled with rainwater in New Usmanpur area today. The two boys had gone there to play in rainwater when the incident happened. Bodies sent for postmortem," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), North East Delhi, Joy Tirkey.
The incident comes as Delhi experiences one of its wettest Junes in history. The city recorded 228.1 millimeters of rain in the past 24 hours, causing waterlogging in several areas. Heavy rain between 2:30 am and 5:30 am alone accounted for over 150 millimeters. The highest 24-hour rainfall recorded in Delhi during June was 235.5 millimeters in 1936.
Drains overflowed due to the high volume of water, leading to inundated roads and traffic snarls across the city. Social media visuals showed submerged vehicles on Minto Road and the Azad Market underpass, along with flooded streets in Connaught Place and near metro stations.
The Delhi Traffic Police said the crucial Ring Road was impacted in both directions due to waterlogging under the Dhaula Kuan flyover.
Meanwhile, a portion of the roof at Delhi Airport's Terminal 1 collapsed during the heavy rain, killing one person and injuring two others. As a safety measure, all departures from Terminal 1 have been temporarily suspended, and check-in counters are closed.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted continued heavy rain and strong winds for Delhi over the next seven days.