At least 20 people were killed due to lightning strikes in different parts of Gujarat amidst widespread unseasonal rainfall across the state, an official said on Monday.
The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) officials said that the casualties occurred in various parts of Gujarat during the unexpected and intense rainfall on Sunday.
Four people died in Dahod district, three in Bharuch, two in Tapi, and one each in several other districts, including Ahmedabad, Amreli, Banaskantha, Botad, Kheda, Mehsana, Panchmahal, Sabarkantha, Surat, Surendranagar, and Devbhumi Dwarka, PTI reported.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah conveyed his condolences in a post shared on X, stating, “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.”
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a reduction in rain activity on Monday.
According to SEOC data, 234 out of 252 talukas in Gujarat experienced rainfall, with districts like Surat, Surendranagar, Kheda, Tapi, Bharuch, and Amreli recording 50-117 mm rainfall in 16 hours.
Apart from significant crop damage, the rain also impacted the local industries, leading to the closure of factories in the ceramic industry of Morbi district in Saurashtra, officials said.
IMD’s Ahmedabad centre director, Manorama Mohanty, assured that the rains are expected to subside on Monday, remaining concentrated in specific areas of south Gujarat and Saurashtra districts.
The meteorological department attributed the unseasonal rainfall to a cyclonic circulation over the northeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Saurashtra and Kutch regions, as mentioned in their bulletin.
(With inputs from PTI)
