14 members of same Gujarat family found dead in floods; toll up to 123

At least 29 persons, including 14 of a family, were found dead on Wednesday in two villages of Banaskantha district due to floods following torrential rains in Gujarat, the police said.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, the death toll due to heavy rains and floods across the state in the current monsoon season stood at 123.

Of the 25 found dead in Banaskantha, 17 persons, including 14 of a family, drowned in the flood waters in Kharia village under the Kankrej taluka, said an official.

Twenty five bodies were fished out on Wednesday by the police and locals after the flood water receded in the district.

"Seventeen bodies were found from Kharia village in the Kankrej tehsil and seven bodies were fished out from the neighbouring Sihori village. One more body was found from the interiors," said Assistant Superintendent of Police Akshayrajsinh Makwana.

"More bodies are likely to be found as the water recedes in over a dozen villages located along the banks of the Banas river," said A D Parmar, Inspector, Thara Police Station, under which Kharia falls.

Kharia and Sihori, situated along the banks of the Banas, were among the worst-hit villages in the district after water was released from the Dantiwada dam two days back.       

Around 1.5 lakh cusecs of water was released from the dam following heavy rains in neighbouring Rajasthan, which resulted in inundation of several villages along the banks of the river in Banaskantha.

“Kharia is one of around 14 villages in the taluka which are badly affected due to the flood. As the water level of the Banas river rose suddenly, those living in these villages did not get a chance to relocate to a safe place in time,” said Parmar.

State Emergency Operation Centre officials said as per the latest figures available with them -- excluding the 25 deaths reported on Wednesday -- eight people had died in Banaskantha and Patan districts in the last two days due to the floods.

The toll due to heavy rains and floods across the state in the current monsoon season stood at 94 (barring the 25 deaths reported from Banaskantha on Wednesday), they added.

Banaskantha and Patan are among the worst-hit districts due to heavy rains and flooding of the Banas and Sipu rivers.

The huge quantum of water released from the Dantiwada and Sipu dams due to heavy rains in Rajasthan compounded the situation, said officials.