Torrential Rains Batter Gujarat; Botad Worst Hit, NDRF Ops Underway As 5 Missing After Car Swept Away
Gujarat is being battered by heavy rain, which has caused severe flooding, evacuations, and road closures. Five people are missing after their car was swept away by a swollen river.
Torrential rainfall over the past 24 hours disrupted daily life across several districts of Gujarat, with Botad emerging as one of the worst-affected regions. Authorities confirmed that 40 people were evacuated to safer areas from Botad, while five went missing after their vehicle was swept away in a flooded river.
According to officials, Bhavnagar was also significantly impacted. Water-logging in low-lying areas led to the closure of roads and causeways in various parts of the state. More rainfall is likely to lash the state over the next four days, raising concerns about additional flooding and damage.
#WATCH | Severe waterlogging in Gujarat's Botad following incessant rains, leading to the closure of the Gadgda Road near the Botad Circle pic.twitter.com/hKT4pvlFCK
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2025
Botad District Collector Jincy Roy said that 40 persons were relocated from low-lying areas in Barvala taluka as a precautionary step to ensure their safety incase a nearby dam overflowed.
VIDEO | Amreli, Gujarat: NDRF rescues five migrant farmers stranded in a flooded field in Amreli after heavy rains lash the region.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 17, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/QsevNG2iGg
Meanwhile, an order issued by the District Education Officer said that all the government as well as private schools in Botad district will remain shut on Wednesday given the present situation.
Roy also shared distressing details of a car accident in Lathidad village, where nine individuals were swept away by a swollen river. While two were rescued immediately, the bodies of two others were later recovered. Five passengers remain unaccounted for which efforts are underway. "We have requested the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to join the rescue work," she said.
In a separate incident, 12 individuals were stranded in a village in Gadhada taluka due to flooding. Rescue efforts are currently underway.
IMD Warns Heavy Rain To Continue Over Next 4 Days
The IMD noted that “extremely heavy rainfall” was recorded in isolated pockets of Botad, Bhavnagar, and Amreli, while "very heavy to heavy" rain lashed Surendranagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Ahmedabad, Anand, Bharuch, and Surat in the last 24 hours.
According to the IMD, the southwest monsoon has advanced further over the North Arabian Sea and Gujarat region, influenced by a low-pressure system and upper air cyclonic circulation.
The weather department has warned of "heavy to very heavy rain" in several parts of Gujarat, including Dahod, Valsad, Porbandar, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, Surat, Navsari, Bharuch and Dang in the next four days.
Data from the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) indicated that Barwala taluka in Botad recorded the highest rainfall at 178 mm in the past 12 hours (as of 6:00 pm Tuesday).
It was followed by 160 mm in Sayla taluka of Surendranagar, 138 mm in Botad taluka, 135 mm in Muli taluka of Surendranagar, 121 Thangadh mm in Thangadh taluka of Surendranagar, 121 mm in Umrala taluka of Bhavnagar, 115 mm in Vallabhipur taluka of Bhavnagar and 111 mm in Jodiya taluka of Jamnagar.
The NDRF on the other hand issued a statement saying that it has dispatched one team each in Kutch, Bhavnagar, and Botad districts to support local authorities in relief and rescue missions.
Taking stock of the situation, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Monday night directed all district collectors to stay on alert and initiate evacuations where necessary.
"In view of the IMD's forecast, necessary instructions have been given to the collectors to evacuate people to safe places if need arises...Collectors have also been asked to instruct citizens to not to cross rivers and streams during heavy rains," the CM in a post on Monday night.
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