Eight killed in 24 hours, hundreds shifted to safer places as rains lash Gujarat

South and central Gujarat districts such as Surat, Valsad, Bharuch and Anand districts reported heavy rainfall where schools, colleges were ordered to be shut.

Ahmedabad: At least eight persons have died while hundreds have been shifted to safer places due to heavy rains leading to flood-like situation in various parts of Gujarat.

Officials said that the state received over 51 per cent of seasonal rains by Wednesday, while semi-arid zones of Kutch district and Saurashtra region recorded 75 per cent and 73 per cent of rainfall respectively, the highest in the state.

In a media briefing, commissioner of relief Alok Pandey said that in this monsoon season, a total of 4,000 people from low-lying areas have been shifted to shelter homes.

He said that 61 people have lost their lives this season, out of whom eight died in the past 24 hours in Devbhumi Dwarka, Banaskantha, Kutch and Rajkot districts. He said that most of the deaths were caused by lightning and drowning in overflowing lakes. So far, 323 animals have been reported to be dead.

South and central Gujarat districts such as Surat, Valsad, Bharuch and Anand districts reported heavy rainfall where schools and colleges were ordered to be shut. According to Pandey, 17 state highways and 607 panchayat roads were closed.

Pandey said that 10 rivers in the state were overflowing. Sardar Sarovar Dam has reached 54.61 per cent of its capacity, while 46 other dams are overflowing out of 206 dams in the state.

13 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 20 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed for rescue and relief works.