Heavy monsoon rains brought Mumbai to a grinding halt on Tuesday, with authorities struggling to evacuate people before a high tide was expected to add to the chaos.
Incessant rain flooded low-lying areas of Mumbai and paralysed train services used by hundreds of thousands of commuters daily, with many stranded at stations. Poor visibility has forced airport authorities to divert some flights.
The city received more than 100 mm (4 inches) of rainfall.
Weather officials are predicting more heavy rains over the next 24 hours and have urged people to stay indoors. A high tide is expected to hit the city later on Tuesday.
The National Disaster Response Force launched a rescue mission with police to evacuate people from low-lying areas.
As previously reported, floods in 2005 killed more than 500 people in the city. The majority of deaths occurred in town slums, which are home to more than half of Mumbai´s population.