35 killed in rain-related incidents in Gujarat

Rain-related incidents claimed 25 more lives in Indian state of Gujarat, taking the death toll to 35 in three days since Monday, while around 17,800 people were evacuated from flood-affected areas as heavy showers lashed parts of the state for the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday.

As relief and rescue operations are being carried out by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Army, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Coast Guard, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to take stock of the situation and to ensure Centre’s support in the crisis, reports The Indian Express.

On Wednesday, districts in the Saurashtra region like Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Porbandar received between 50 mm and 200 mm of rain in 12 hours, ending 6 pm. Bhanvad taluka of Devbhumi Dwarka received 185 mm of rain during this period - the highest in the state.

While rain took a pause in Vadodara city, flooding in Vishwamitri river left several low-lying areas still under water. People stranded in their houses and rooftops were rescued and relocated to safer places by teams of NDRF, SDRF and three columns of the Army deployed for the purpose. Along with NDRF and SDRF, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard were carrying out rescue and relief operations in affected areas, with around 17,800 people relocated and another 2,000 rescued so far. According to the state government, so far, over 41,000 people have been shifted and more than 3,000 rescued this monsoon.

The State Emergency Operation Centre in Gandhinagar said that while 15 people died on Tuesday, four deaths were reported on Wednesday. The district collectors reported four deaths in Morbi and two in Rajkot district.

On Tuesday, wall collapse incidents killed three persons in Anand district’s Khadodhi village, two in Mahisagar’s Haripura village, two in Ahmedabad’s Dhingra village and Sanand as well as one at Kheda’s Chitrasar village.

While one person each drowned in Bharuch’s Piludara village, Junagadh’s Mangrol village, Panchmahal’s Halol as well as Ahmedabad’s Dholka taluka and Maninagar in Ahmedabad city, two persons drowned in Surendranagar’s Dhrangadra.

The SEOC recorded four deaths on Wednesday - one person each drowned at Dang’s Ahwa and Jamnagar’s Dhrol, one died in wall collapse at Aravali’s Malpur and another died due to a tree fall in Devbhoomi Dwarka’s Bahnvad.

On August 25 and 26, 10 people had died due to drowning, tree felling and wall collapse incidents in different parts of the state.