M A I N   N E W S

Rain fury abates in Gujarat, toll rises to 135

Ahmedabad, July 3
Life in Gujarat is limping back to normal with the rains abating for the past twelve hours after lashing the state for almost a week and leaving 135 dead. Eleven more deaths were reported, including eight from Saurashtra region and three from Vadodara city, taking the toll to 135 in the current spell of monsoon.

The water level in worst-affected Vadodara, Kheda and Anand districts has been receding with the rain halting since the wee hours of today.

Three youth were swept away in Vadodara city while they were trying to rescue trapped people from the submerged Sama Road area.

Anand town, which houses National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Institute of Rural Management (IRMA), Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), Amul and other organisations, is under total darkness since Thursday noon.

The substation supplying power to the town was totally submerged and Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) officials have decided to restore power only after taking all precautionary measures.

The situation has also improved in Saurashtra region as the rain has stopped. However, as many as eight persons were swept away in the flood waters of these five were swept away in Amreli district.

Among the other four victims, Narendra Chotalia, hailing from Junagadh district, was swept away by the swirling Rasala river near Manavadar. Dharamsinh Devraj was swept away in the Malan river near Goras village of Mahuva taluka in Bhavnagar district, Devabhai was drowned at Kajli village and 18-year-old Swatiben was drowned at Chuda village near Chotila.

According to the weather office, Amreli, Junagadh and Surendranagar districts of Saurashtra region have received 5 to 8 inches of rainfall since the past 24 hours. — UNI