The swollen Tapti river in Surat on Sunday. (Express photo by Hanif Malek) The swollen Tapti river in Surat on Sunday. (Express photo by Hanif Malek)

A DAY AFTER heavy rainfall lashed Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat, bodies of eight people, who were swept away by rivers in Surendranagar, Jamanagar and Rajkot districts, were recovered on Sunday. The death toll has in rain-related incidents in the state has now climbed to 27.

Surendranagar district collector K Rajesh said that the bodies of six out of the seven people who went missing while crossing a causeway across Falku river in Surendrangar on Saturday, were found on Sunday. “Bodies of six of them were recovered from the river bank a few hundred metres downstream. A team of NDRF is still searching for the seventh person,” he told The Indian Express.

The Falku river had swollen on Saturday following heavy rain. Ten agricultural labourers were swept away while they were trying to cross a causeway across the river at Vavdi village. Three of them have been rescued.

Read | Gujarat records 83% of season’s rainfall, 28% more than 2018

The six found dead on Sunday have been identified as Sadaji Thakor (55), Gambhirji Thakro (33), Gambhirji’s wife Jyotsana (30) and daughter Poonam (10), Avkash Rabari (17) and Vijay Ghanghar (19). Police said Sadaji was a resident of Valpura village in Banaskantha district and Gambhirji and his family were residents of Mota Jorapura village of neighbouring Patan district. Avkash was a resident of Vavdi and Ghanghar was from the neighbouring Isadra village. Police said Ravi Rabari is still missing.

“We are using drones to locate the person who is still missing. The expanse of Falku river is wide and an NDRF team is still searching for him,” Rajesh added.

Sources said Thakors worked as labourers on Ghanghar’s farm.

Compared to last year, this was barely 10.5 mm on August 11,2018 out of a total of 460.66 mm rainfall for the state. (Express photo: Javed Raja) Compared to last year, this was barely 10.5 mm on August 11,2018 out of a total of 460.66 mm rainfall for the state. (Express photo: Javed Raja)

With this, the number of deaths in rain-related incidents in the state has gone up to 27. Till Saturday, 19 deaths were reported in rain-related mishaps, including 16 in incidents of wall or building collapse, as Saurashtra and central Gujarat experienced heavy rain.

Eight labourers were killed after a wall collapsed on their huts in Morbi town on Saturday.

Two children drowned after they jumped in a river in Sanosara village in Manavadar taluka of Junagadh district to have a swim on Sunday morning. They have been identified as Kuldip Rathva (9) and Nilam Rathva (13), residents of Kavant taluka in Chhota Udepur district.

While rain halted in most parts of the state on Sunday, several parts of central Gujarat and Saurashtra and Kutch regions experienced extremely heavy rain on Friday and Saturday. In the last 24 hours (till 8 am Sunday), Nakhatrana taluka in Kutch district received 321 mm rainfall, Tankara in Morbi district received 268 mm rain and Dhrangadhra taluka in Surendranagar recorded 209 mm downpour, according to data available with the state emergency operation centre. Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Saurashtra and Kutch regions in the next 24 hours, an official of India Meteorological Department in Ahmedabad said. “Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea as squally weather is likely to prevail along and off the Gujarat coast on Sunday and Monday due to active monsoon conditions,” he said. —With PTI

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