Chandigarh Paralyzed by Severe Weather: Roof Collapse Injures Children, Trees Block Roads
Persistent heavy rainfall accompanied by strong gusty winds has thrown normal life completely out of gear in Chandigarh since Friday morning, triggering a series of disruptive incidents across the Tricity region. The adverse weather conditions have led to significant infrastructure damage, injuries, and widespread chaos affecting multiple sectors.
Roof Collapse Incident in Manimajra Injures Three Children
One of the most serious incidents occurred in Manimajra, where the roof of an old house collapsed during the relentless downpour, trapping three children inside the structure. The children, aged between 12 and 14 years, were promptly rescued by local residents and rushed to a nearby medical facility for emergency treatment.
Medical authorities reported that while two of the injured children are currently in stable condition, the third child suffered serious head injuries requiring specialized care. This critically injured child was subsequently referred to the Government Medical College and Hospital located in Sector 16 for advanced medical attention.
Widespread Tree Uprooting Causes Traffic and Power Disruption
The strong winds accompanying the rainfall uprooted numerous trees across various sectors of Chandigarh, severely impacting both traffic movement and power supply infrastructure throughout the city. In Sector 17, a large tree snapped and fell directly onto overhead electricity wires, resulting in significant power outages affecting the entire area.
Local resident Harpreet Kaur, who witnessed the incident, expressed relief that the falling tree narrowly missed parked vehicles, stating, "The tree narrowly missed parked cars. If it had fallen just a few feet away, there could have been major property losses and potential injuries."
Multiple Traffic Incidents and Road Blockages Reported
The weather-induced chaos extended to multiple traffic incidents across different sectors. In Sector 32, a falling tree struck a moving two-wheeler, injuring the rider who required medical attention. Meanwhile, in Sector 35 B and various parts of Mohali, trees crashed onto houses and roads, damaging vehicles and creating extensive traffic snarls that lasted for hours.
The situation reached critical levels on the Chandigarh-Mohali road near Sectors 39 and 40, where multiple trees fell simultaneously, bringing vehicular movement to a virtual standstill. Commuter Sunita Bhalla described the chaotic scene, saying, "Traffic was completely blocked, and even emergency vehicles like ambulances were struggling to pass through. The entire area descended into complete chaos."
Infrastructure Safety Concerns and Municipal Response
The severe weather raised serious concerns about infrastructure safety when a portion of the false ceiling collapsed at Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32. Fortunately, no injuries were reported from this incident as the affected area was unoccupied at the time of the collapse.
In response to the widespread disruption, the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh immediately deployed emergency teams to address the situation. A municipal official confirmed that approximately eight horticulture teams had been working across the city since morning to clear fallen trees and debris.
The official stated, "Nearly eight to nine fallen trees and major branches blocking crucial roads have been removed so far to ease traffic movement. Our teams are working continuously, and additional clearance operations are currently underway to restore normalcy."
The combination of persistent rainfall and gusty winds has created unprecedented challenges for Chandigarh residents, with authorities working round the clock to manage the aftermath of the severe weather conditions that have disrupted daily life across the Tricity region.
