A man went missing after being swept away by the swollen Ulhas River in Thane’s Badlapur area following heavy rainfall across parts of Maharashtra, officials confirmed on Sunday. The incident occurred on Saturday when the man, along with two others, entered the river for a swim despite rising water levels. Damodar Vangad, Chief Fire Officer of the local civic body, stated that the fire brigade was informed nearly six hours after the mishap, delaying rescue operations. As of Sunday morning, authorities continue to conduct a search operation to locate the missing man amid challenging river conditions.
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The disappearance coincides with a ‘red alert’ issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning of extremely heavy rainfall in Thane, Palghar, Mumbai, and Raigad districts on Sunday. In the past 24 hours, Thane city recorded 115.79 mm of rainfall, causing widespread waterlogging, tree falls, and flooding in low-lying areas, Yasin Tadvi, Chief of Thane Municipal Corporation’s disaster management cell, reported. Similar conditions were observed in Palghar, where continuous downpours led to the submergence of several localities, compounding risks for residents in vulnerable zones near rivers and drainage channels.
Authorities in both districts have urged people to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary and to avoid hazardous areas such as riverbanks and flood-prone regions. District collectors are closely monitoring the situation while teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local rescue personnel remain on standby to respond to emergencies. Civic bodies have heightened vigilance, warning the public to follow official advisories and updates while avoiding rumours that could cause panic, as continuous rainfall is expected to persist, maintaining high risk levels across Thane, Palghar, and surrounding areas.