A harrowing tragedy unfolded on Tuesday evening at Mahavir Society, located in the Sachin GIDC area of Surat. Two young girls, Shreya and Krishna, lost their lives after falling into a pit that had been excavated for Chhath Puja but had become filled with rainwater. Following the incident, police and fire department personnel rushed to the scene to conduct a search operation. After approximately two hours of intensive efforts, the bodies of the children were recovered. During the operation, police officers and constables from the Limbayat police station personally entered the water to help locate the victims.
Children Bathing in Accumulated Water
Reports indicate that both girls had been playing and bathing in the rainwater that had collected within the society premises since approximately 10:00 AM on Tuesday. During their play, they inadvertently ventured into the deep section of the accumulated water and drowned. The news of the incident caused immediate panic throughout the society and the surrounding vicinity. Although local residents scrambled to reach the girls and pull them out of the water, it was already too late to save them.
Five Deaths Reported in Surat
Torrential rainfall battered parts of Southern Gujarat throughout Tuesday, with Surat district bearing the brunt of the weather. A total of five people have died in Surat due to rain-related incidents. Data shows that the Kamrej taluka of Surat district recorded a massive 305 millimeters of rainfall within a 10-hour window ending at 4:00 PM on Tuesday. Furthermore, approximately 2100 individuals have been evacuated from flood-affected regions to safer locations.
Closure of Educational Institutions
In light of the heavy rainfall, all educational institutions in both Surat and Navsari districts remained closed on Tuesday. Officials from the District Disaster Management Office confirmed that the death toll from rain-related incidents over the past two days stands at five. On Tuesday, two people died from electrocution, while another individual lost their life in the Kamrej area. Prior to this, on Monday, two more people died from electrocution in the Rander area of Surat.
Deployment of NDRF and SDRF Teams
To address the deteriorating conditions caused by the relentless rain, the administration has deployed NDRF and SDRF teams across the city. One NDRF team and three SDRF teams are currently engaged in rescue operations. In severely waterlogged areas such as Pandesara, Nagsen Nagar, and Meethi Khadi, rescue workers are using boats to evacuate vulnerable individuals, including pregnant women, the elderly, and those who are ill, to safer shelters. Local authorities remain on high alert as the record-breaking rainfall continues to cause significant waterlogging across the city and the entire district.
