This week, heavy rains have severely impacted parts of India's western state of Gujarat, leading to widespread flooding, disrupted utilities, and the displacement of thousands of residents. Authorities reported at least 28 fatalities as of Thursday, cautioning about the possibility of further heavy rainfall. Army rescue teams have been deployed to assist in relief efforts, as residents navigated through waters that reached waist-high, partially submerging vehicles and roads, according to visuals from Reuters television.
Prabhu Ram Soni, a resident of the coastal city of Jamnagar, mentioned the lack of electricity for the past two days, which has been particularly challenging for his family, including an eight-month-old daughter and his mother, who requires oxygen support due to asthma. Since Sunday, disaster management authorities have confirmed 28 deaths due to drowning and other rain-related incidents, with over 18,000 people evacuated from coastal cities.
In Jamnagar, known for housing the world's largest oil refinery complex owned by Reliance, heavy rains persisted. District collector BK Pandya assured that the refineries, including those operated by Nayara Energy, backed by Russian groups such as Rosneft, remained operational despite the weather conditions. Authorities are primarily focused on rescue operations within the district.
India's weather office has issued warnings for extremely heavy rainfall in Gujarat's Bharuch, Kutch, and Saurashtra districts on Thursday, with expectations of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning on Friday. The rainfall is attributed to a deep atmospheric depression near Gujarat's coast, which has also affected the southern coast of neighboring Pakistan, particularly its largest city, Karachi. Officials in Pakistan's southern province of Sindh have issued warnings against torrential rain, rough seas, and flooding expected on Thursday, as the weather system progresses westward from India.
