At least 20 people were killed in lightning strikes across Gujarat over the weekend as the state reels under unseasonal rainfall, an official told news agency PTI.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), a total of 20 rain-related deaths have been reported from various districts of Gujarat. The fatalities, attributed to lightning strikes, occurred during the intense unseasonal downpour that lashed the state on Sunday.
The SEOC official provided a district-wise breakdown of the casualties: four dead in Dahod, three in Bharuch, two in Tapi, and one each in Ahmedabad, Amreli, Banaskantha, Botad, Kheda, Mehsana, Panchmahal, Sabarkantha, Surat, Surendranagar, and Devbhumi Dwarka.
Expressing his grief over the tragic loss of life, Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured that the local administration is actively engaged in relief and rescue operations.
“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,” Shah said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
According to SEOC data, Gujarat’s Surat, Surendranagar, Kheda, Tapi, Bharuch and Amreli districts recorded 50-117 mm rainfall in 16 hours. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a gradual decline in rainfall activity starting Monday.
