Rain, thunderstorm wreak havoc in Delhi: 4 dead in house collapse; over 200 flights delayed

At least four persons of the same family, including three children and their mother, were killed while one person sustained injuries after a tree fell on their house during a powerful thunderstorm that hit the national capital in the wee hours of Friday.

The deceased were identified as Jyoti (28 ), Aryan (7), Rishabh (5) and Priyansh (7 months). Their father Ajay (30) survived with minor injuries on chest and wrist.

A senior Fire Department official said that they received a call from the Jaffarpur area regarding the house collapse at 5.24 am  following which three fire engines were immediately rushed to the spot at Kharkhari Nahar village in southwest Delhi.

As the firemen reached the location, they found that a tubewell room had collapsed as a large tree had fallen on it and some persons were trapped under the debris.

"Immediately a rescue operation was initiated and five persons of a family were taken out and rushed to Rao Tula Ram Hospital," Delhi Firre Service chief Atul Garg told The Tribune.

While Ajay had sustained minor injuries, his wife and three children, including a seven-month-old baby, were brought dead at the hospital.

Wind speed reached 80 km/h

The city was lashed by heavy rains and a massive thunderstorm around 5 am on Friday which severely disrupted normal life as several areas of the capital reported power outages, uprooted trees and waterlogging.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an alert advising people to keep a watch on the weather for worsening conditions and be ready to move to safer places.

A senior IMD officer said that wind speed during the intense thunderstorm reached even 80 km per hour at the Safdarjung observatory, followed by 78 km/h at Pragati Maidan, 74 km/h at Palam, 59 km/h at Lodhi Road and Pitampura, 56 km/h at Najafgarh and 52 km/h at IGNOU.

During the past 24 hours, 78 mm of rainfall was recorded at Lodi Road, followed by 77 mm at Safdarjung, 71.5 mm at Pitampura and Pragati Maidan, 67.5 mm at Jaffarpur, 59.2 mm at the Ridge and 50 mm at PUSA.

CM blames previous govts for drainage shortcomings

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stepped out to assess the situation. She visited flood-hit areas, including Majnu ka Tila, where she was seen coordinating directly with municipal officials. “Today I inspected the situation of waterlogging in various areas of Delhi, including Majnu ka Tila, due to rain. I am present on the ground with the officials concerned to resolve this problem,” she said during her visit.

She further stated that instructions had been issued to all departments to promptly identify and resolve waterlogging across the city. “Clear instructions have been given to all officers to identify waterlogging-affected areas across Delhi and ensure a solution,” Gupta added.

In a pointed remark, the Chief Minister blamed previous administrations for the city's drainage and infrastructure shortcomings. “This disease, which we have got from the previous government, will take time to cure,” she said, asserting that her government was determined to reverse the damage.

“Today the Chief Minister of Delhi herself is passing through those roads where thousands of Delhiites are stuck in traffic jams, and the government is fully prepared to fix these problems on time. Officials are working on the roads,” she said.

Flights disrupted

Meanwhile, flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport faced major disruptions due to the severe weather.

According to Flightradar24, at least three inbound flights were diverted — two to Jaipur and one to Ahmedabad — while over 200 flights experienced delays.

Air India confirmed that the storm had impacted its operations across North India. “Several flights to and from Delhi have been delayed or diverted, which may affect our overall schedule. We are working diligently to minimise delays,” the airline stated.