Rains claim 15 lives in Gujarat

Torrential rains disrupted normal life prompting the authorities to issue a high alert across the state.

Torrential rains in Gujarat on Friday claimed at least 15 lives, disrupting normal life prompting the authorities to issue a high alert across the state, official sources said.

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Director of relief work BN Satya told reporters that more than 6000 people living in low-lying areas in various districts have been shifted to safer places.

While three persons each were killed in rain-related incidents in Ahmedabad and Amreli districts, two each died in Dangs and Surendranagar and one each in Junagadh, Narmada, Patan, Surat and Vadodara districts, he said.

Incessant rains has caused 187 dams to overflow and has affected traffic on 95 state highways. About 118 dams have been put on alert while Narmada dam is overflowing, official sources said.

The state has been put on a high alert following a forecast by the MeT department that heavy rains would continue across the state for the next 24 hours.

"The intense low pressure over Gujarat and South-West Madhya Pradesh is causing heavy rainfall in these regions. The activity is largely being felt over Gujarat," RK Bakhliwal, director of state MeT department said.