Rains disrupts normal life in Gujarat; 50,000 evacuated, rail traffic hit

Heavy rains which disrupted rail and road traffic, claimed the lives of at least six persons in Gujarat, district authorities said.

Rains continued to lash almost the entire state for the third day today resulting in rising water levels of rivers and overflowing of dams, forcing evacuation of over 50,000 people from low lying areas across the state.

A fire department official said one person died due to electrocution in Ahmedabad's Naroda area and two drowned in Bharuch district, while the body of a missing man was found in Surat district's Mandvi taluka today, authorities said.

Two people died in Gadvel village of Kheda district while their daughter was seriously injured after their house collapsed due to heavy rains, officials said, adding the girl has been admitted to the hospital.

Railway officials said 18 trains were cancelled and three trains rescheduled. One train was partially cancelled between Ahmedabad and Mumbai after waterlogging at Vadodara division. The routes of 18 other trains were diverted.

In Bharuch district, more than 16,000 people were shifted to safer places after heavy rains.

"Around 16,000 people were shifted to safer places from Bharuch city and other parts of the district. The water level of Narmada river on Golden bridge is receding but the rain has been unrelenting," Bharuch Collector Avantika Singh said.

Surat Collector J Shivhare said that more than 15,000 people from Surat city and other parts of the district who were moved to safer places due to rise in the water level of Tapi river, were provided food packets and other basic facilities.