As per the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), a total of 20 rain-related deaths have been reported from various districts of Gujarat and the deaths are attributed to lightning strikes
Ahmedabad: At least 20 people were killed and several others were injured in lightning strikes across Gujarat over the weekend as the state reels under unseasonal rainfall, an official told news agency PTI. Several houses were also damaged in the unseasonal rain in the state.
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As per the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), a total of 20 rain-related deaths have been reported from various districts of Gujarat and the deaths are attributed to lightning strikes, occurred during the intense unseasonal downpour that lashed the state on Sunday.
The SEOC official further gave a district-wise breakdown of the casualties: four dead in Dahod, three in Bharuch, two in Tapi, and one each in Ahmedabad, Amreli, Banaskantha, Botad, Kheda, Mehsana, Panchmahal, Sabarkantha, Surat, Surendranagar, and Devbhumi Dwarka.
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Home Minister Amit Shah expressed grief and assured that the local administration is actively engaged in relief and rescue operations.
“I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of many people due to bad weather and lightning in various cities of Gujarat. I express my deepest condolences for the irreparable loss to those who lost their loved ones in this tragedy. The local administration is engaged in relief work, praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Shah said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
As per the SEOC data, Gujarat’s Surat, Surendranagar, Kheda, Tapi, Bharuch and Amreli districts recorded 50-117 mm rainfall in 16 hours. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a gradual decline in rainfall activity starting Monday.
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As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the rainfall is expected to go down on Monday, while being concentrated in some parts of south Gujarat and Saurashtra districts.
Heavy rainfall was recorded in 234 out of Gujarat’s 252 talukas on Sunday. Districts like Surat, Surendranagar, Kheda, Tapi, Bharuch, and Amreli witnessed particularly heavy rainfall, with amounts ranging from 50 to 117 mm in a mere 16 hours.
The IMD further stated that a cyclonic circulation is positioned over northeast Arabian Sea, extending its influence over the Saurashtra and Kutch regions.
