MUMBAI: A leading gastroenterologist with Bombay Hospital has been missing since Tuesday’s heavy showers.
Dr. Deepak Amarapurkar (58) had last spoken to his wife at around 6.30 p.m. to tell her that he had alighted from his car and had started walking towards their Prabhadevi home from Elphinstone Road. But there has been no update from him since.
Fire brigade officials and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had deployed several personnel after locals from Elphinstone Road reported that he may have fallen into an open manhole.
Dr. Amarapurkar had left from Bombay Hospital in Marine Lines after having lunch with his colleagues. “But he decided to step out of the car and walk home from Parel probably because it was flooded and the cars were not moving. The driver made it home but the family has not heard from Dr. Amarapurkar since,” said Dr. Gautam Bhansali, a physician with Bombay Hospital.
The police said locals have reported that the doctor may have drowned in an open manhole. “There was waist-deep water here. As the lights were off, there was no visibility. We saw a man suddenly going down in force. One of us attempted to catch hold of him, but only his umbrella was left behind,” said Sunil Jaiswal, who lives in the building right opposite the location.
The police said the manhole was opened up by some locals who did not think it right to warn pedestrians.
Dr. Amarapurkar’s brother-in-law Vineet Bolinjkar said the umbrella was identified by the family. “We don’t know what to assume so far. But the search is on,” he said.
The NDRF had deployed its divers. Special cameras for stormwater drains were used in the search, but it was called off late on Wednesday. Teams were also sent to the Love Grove pumping station and the Cleveland Bunder pumping station in Worli where the water from Elphinstone is diverted through.
