Two people lost their lives after they drove into the flooded Malad subway and got stuck in the water on Monday night.
According to the police, close to midnight on Monday, Irfan Khan (37) and Gulshad Sheikh (38) were on their way home to Pathanwadi. The police said Khan, a driver by profession, was driving his employer’s SUV with Sheikh, a businessman, sitting in the front passenger seat.
“The subway was flooded and bystanders tried to stop the men from entering it. The duo drove into the subway despite the water being several feet high. The water entered the engine, causing the car to shut down. The doors, too, were locked, and the men got stuck inside,” senior police inspector George Fernandes, Malad police station, said.
The car the duo was travelling in.
The men started calling family and friends for help, while eyewitnesses alerted the police and fire brigade. Nearby teams were diverted to the spot, but the water level had risen by then, as a sewage drain close to the subway was overflowing.
“The fire brigade could not reach the vehicle despite its best efforts. Meanwhile, water started entering the car. It was only after it receded around four hours later that the rescue teams could get to the car,” Mr. Fernandes said.
The duo was rushed to Siddharth Hospital in Goregaon, where they were declared dead due to drowning before admission. The Malad police have registered accidental death reports.
Tabrez Mansuri, a relative of Khan, alleged that the rescue teams were ill-equipped. “Both men were stuck inside for a long time. The fire brigade took two hours to reach the spot, and only had two life jackets and not enough rope,” he said.
