A sudden strong dust storm hit Delhi on Friday killing a 67-year-old man and injuring another after a construction material fell on them from the roof of a building in the Chander Vihar area and a 13-year-old boy was injured after a newly constructed balcony of a building collapsed in Karol Bagh area.
Civic bodies have received more than 20 calls on uprooted trees in several parts, including Feroz Shah Road, Ashoka Road, Mandi House, and Connaught Place, and it led to traffic congestion.
Thunderstorms led to power disruptions in several parts of the city, primarily due to trees and branches falling on electricity cables. An electric pole has also fallen at ITO.
The nearby areas including Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Noida also saw damages and injuries due to the dust storm on Friday
Dust Storm Leaves Man Dead, Two Injured In Delhi
A heavy construction material fell from the roof of the five-storey building, fell on the adjacent road in Chander Vihar area during the dust storm around 6:30 pm.
Two persons injured in the incident were rushed to the LBS Hospital, where doctors declared Chander Pal (67) brought dead.
The injured has been identified as Rajbir (38), a nurse at GTB Hospital, who is undergoing treatment, PTI cited a police statement.
Meanwhile, in Siddhipura locality of Delhi's Karol Bagh area, a 13-year-old boy was injured after a newly constructed balcony of a building collapsed following the dust storm.
According to police, the balcony on the third floor of a four-storey under-construction building collapsed amid strong winds. The structure which was recently built crashed down onto the street, hitting the boy who happened to be passing by.
Police rushed to the spot upon receiving information. The injured boy was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. His condition is stated to be stable. Legal proceedings have been initiated, police said.
People Injured In Gurugram Due To Dust Storm
Two people got injured after a huge pillar signage fell on a car on the Dwarka Expressway in Gurugram on Friday.
The car got stuck under the pillar and two occupants got injured. Passersby helped them get out of the car and admitted them to the hospital, they added.
This resulted in a traffic jam on the Dwarka Expressway and police were deployed to manage the traffic.
According to the officials, the injured are yet to be identified. They were on their way home from work when the incident occurred. Their car got completely damaged.
A strong storm started around 6:30 pm, resulting in heavy congestion on the Dwarka Expressway, NH-48, Southern Peripheral Road, Sohna Road Elevated Highway, Kundli–Manesar–Palwal Expressway and other major routes.
Incidents of hoardings falling and trees uprooting due to the storm were reported from several places, including Signatur tower, Sheetla Mata road and sector 31 Sector 21. Near Sector 22, a tree got uprooted and fell on two cars, they said.
Strong Dust Storm Hits Delhi; IMD Issues Alert
Strong dust storms and gusty winds followed by rain hit the national capital on Friday evening, causing trees to be uprooted in several parts of Delhi-NCR.
The national capital saw a sudden change in weather in the evening, with sharp temperature drops at weather stations. At Palam, the temperature dropped by 10 degrees Celsius and at Safdarjung weather station, the mercury dipped by 7 degrees Celsius due to the dust storm, the weather office said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert, which indicates that residents should "be prepared" and "take action" as per its colour-coded advisory.
The IMD has recommended that people stay indoors, secure windows and doors, and avoid unnecessary travel, among other things.
According to the IMD, wind speed data showed that IGI Airport reported gusts of wind at 74 kmph, Pragati Maidan at 70 kmph, and Lodhi Road at 69 kmph. Wind speeds ranged from 37 kmph in Najafgarh to 56 kmph in Safdarjung.
