5 Dead as Heavy Rain Inundates South Gujarat

Brace for more rain!

The vehicle, belonging to Vadodara Mayor Dr Jigisha Seth, got stuck after a road caved in following heavy rains in the city on 25 June.

(Photo: ANI)

Heavy rains lashed several parts of south Gujarat, including Valsad, Surat, Navsari, Vadodara and Bharuch districts, over 24 and 25 June, causing water-logging and throwing normal life out of gear in the region.

Three people were killed in the downpour in Bharuch alone. In Vadodara, two people were electrocuted near Gotri area of the city as the whole street was flooded.

Subway near Valsad Railway Station flooded in the rain.

In Bharuch, Parul Vasava (16) was swept away when she tried to cross the torrential flood on her way back from school. Veersinh Vasava (70) was struck by lightning near Jambusar in Bharuch and Shankar Vasava (43) was killed after his tractor was over turned by the rising flood waters.

In Bharuch, the fire department rescued 20 people who were stuck in a bus that was stranded in the flood waters between Rajpardi and Avidha villages – with over one km of the highway being inundated in waist-high water.

Umergam taluka in Valsad district received around 550 mm of rainfall in the last 30 hours, Collector CR Kharsan told PTI on 25 June

Valsad district has been receiving heavy rain since the last two days. Umergam taluka received around 550 mm of rainfall in the last 30 hours. Between 6 am and 2 pm on 26 June, Umergam received 150 mm of rain.

CR Kharsan, Valsad Collector

Railway tracks at Valsad Railway Station Inundated by rains.

As per the state emergency control room, heavy showers resulted in water-logging on several roads, housing societies and low-lying areas in Umergam as well as in Valsad town. "Valsad taluka received around 231 mm of rainfall . Some trains got delayed due to rains in Valsad, and at Dahanu and Palghar in Maharashtra. Since the rains have stopped now, all the main roads are open to traffic," Kharsan told PTI.

Other areas of south Gujarat which received heavy rains till the afternoon of 26 June include Pardi in Valsad (169 mm), Vapi in Valsad (153 mm), Dolvan in Valsad (146 mm), Umerpada in Surat district (142 mm), Chikhli in Navsari district (128 mm), Mangrol in Surat district (110 mm) and Khergam in Navsari (95 mm), according to the data released by the state emergency control room.

Visuals from Vadodara city.

No heavy rainfall has been forecasted for Ahmedabad for the next three days and forecast shows light to moderate rainfall in the city. Right now the rains are falling heavily in South Gujarat but there will be a decrease in rainfall activity tomorrow onward.

Jayant Sarkar Director of India Meteorological Department in Gujarat

(With inputs from PTI)