Heavy rains cause commuter chaos in India's financial hub

Monsoon rains stalled trains delayed flights and disrupted traffic in Mumbai on Wednesday, and forecasters warned of more wet weather for India's financial capital.

Authorities advised people to stay indoors and asked schools and colleges to close for the day. "Those living near the Mithi river have been evacuated to safer places, but there are no reports of any harm or casualties so far," a police spokesperson said, referring to the city's main river.

Flights were delayed at Mumbai airport, one of the busiest in the country, and trains carrying thousands of commuters to work were halted on many routes, authorities said on Twitter. "It took me three hours to cover a distance that usually takes less than an hour," Vishwanath Acharya, an executive who works in the city, told Reuters.

Mumbai has been hit by heavier-than-usual rain this monsoon, affecting the city's crumbling infrastructure. Social media users posted videos of submerged streets and people wading through them.

Floods in 2005 killed more than 500 people in the city, home to the country's two biggest stock exchanges and headquarters of several major companies.

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