Heavy rains in Gujarat claim 7 lives, force 15,000 to evacuate

Vehicles pass through a waterlogged road after heavy rains, in Rajkot/ PTI

Heavy rain continues to lash portions of Gujarat, killing seven people and driving nearly 15,000 to flee their homes. More than 300 people have been rescued across many districts as officials carry out large-scale relief and rescue operations.

While the intensity of the rain decreased on Tuesday compared to the previous day, the Saurashtra region remains severely hit. Rescue attempts continue, with six Army columns deployed in districts including Devbhoomi Dwarka, Anand, Vadodara, Kheda, Morbi, and Rajkot. In addition, 14 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) platoons and 22 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) units are helping local authorities manage the crisis, reported PTI.

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According to the PTI report, since Monday, seven people have died in rain-related events. These include four fatalities caused by wall collapses in Gandhinagar, Kheda, and Vadodara, one person killed by a falling tree, and two drowning deaths in Anand district.

The worst-affected areas are Vadodara and Panchmahals, which have displaced almost 12,000 people - 8,361 in Vadodara and 4,000 in Panchmahals. Across the state, over 23,870 individuals have been relocated to safer areas, with 1,696 rescued. In the last two days, 1,200 people were evacuated in Navsari, 800 in Valsad, 200 in Bharuch, 235 in Kheda, and 200 in Botad, the news agency stated.

"Over 300 persons were rescued with the assistance of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Coast Guard. "We have requested IAF helicopters for rescue operations in Morbi and Jamnagar," Relief Commissioner Alok Pandey said during a media briefing.

As many as 75 pregnant women, 45 from Vadodara and 30 from Devbhumi Dwarka were evacuated and transferred to nearby health institutions, the report added.

Reportedly, six personnel from an electrical substation in the Morbi area were rescued and moved. In another incident, ten fire department and NDRF teams rescued approximately 70 individuals from low-lying districts of Jamnagar city that had been flooded due to heavy rains.

Severe flooding has hit Vadodara's low-lying districts, interrupting traffic and daily life. The Vishwamitri River, which flows through the city, has risen above its danger limit of 25 feet by Tuesday morning due to heavy rainfall and the discharge of water from surrounding dams.

According to Bijal Shah, the district collector of Vadodara, over 3,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas to safer sites as a precaution, the report added.

An IAF helicopter rescued 11 people, including children, from the Wadi region in Jamnagar.

According to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), Gujarat has received about 100 per cent of its typical annual rainfall this season, with Kutch, Saurashtra, and south Gujarat exceeding their averages.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts isolated heavy rainfall in most parts of the state on Tuesday, with more heavy rain forecast in the Saurashtra-Kutch region on Wednesday and Thursday, the report added.

A high alert has been issued for 96 reservoirs that are currently flowing above danger levels, as well as a warning for 19 reservoirs that are approaching danger levels.