Gujarat: 14 dead, 16 injured due to unseasonal heavy rains

BILKULONLINE

 Gandhinagar, May 6 : At least 14 people lost their lives while 16 others were injured as unseasonal rain, fierce winds, and dust storms battered parts of Gujarat, disrupting daily life at the height of the summer season.

As per the official data recorded between May 4 and 6, the worst-hit region was Kheda district, where two people were crushed under fallen trees and two others died when a building and a temporary roof collapsed. An official said that in Vadodara, three fatalities were reported, two from electrocution and one caused by a falling hoarding. “Two deaths each were reported from Ahmedabad, Aravalli, and Dahod. Lightning strikes were responsible for both fatalities in Aravalli, while in Dahod, victims died due to uprooted trees,” the official said. He said that in Ahmedabad, one person succumbed to lightning, and another was killed when a hoarding collapsed.

“In Anand, a woman died after a wall gave way. Among the 16 injured, six were reported from Panchmahal, while Kheda and Dahod accounted for three each. Aravalli and Anand saw four more injuries collectively,” the official said. The official further pointed out that the storm also caused damage to livestock and property, 25 animals were reported injured, and seven houses collapsed in Panchmahal and Kheda. “The extreme weather affected 168 talukas across Gujarat, with a significant impact in Saurashtra, Kutch, and central districts. In Ahmedabad, a blinding dust storm was followed by heavy rain late at night. High-speed winds felled at least 46 trees in over 75 reported incidents,” the official added.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of continued rain today, with gusts reaching 40–50 km/h. Authorities have urged residents to remain indoors during peak wind activity and to avoid areas with large hoardings or unstable structures. An official said that in Saurashtra and central Gujarat, fields of ripe mangoes, groundnut, cotton, and pulses were particularly affected. “Farmers in Junagadh, Amreli, and Gir Somnath reported heavy fruit drop in mango orchards just ahead of peak harvest season, leading to considerable financial losses. In Kutch, standing crops such as bajra and sesame were flattened by the gusty winds and hail,” he said.

He also added that vegetable growers in Anand and Kheda districts also suffered losses, with damage reported to tender crops like tomatoes, chillies, and leafy greens. Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department said that waterlogging in low-lying fields and damage to topsoil have further jeopardised crop health in several regions of the state.