Lucky escape for 20 as bus submerges in underpass in Gondal

RAJKOT: Twenty passengers had a providential escape after the GSRTC bus in which they were travelling got submerged in an underpass in Gondal due to heavy rain on Thursday.


The water in Umarva underpass swelled so fast that the bus, which was passing, could not move and got submerged. The passengers, some of whom climbed onto the bus’ roof, were rescued by the locals.

A team of fire brigade also reached the spot and the bus was taken out using an earthmover machine.

An ambulance and a private car also got stuck in the underpass during the day on Thursday. The patient in an ambulance was shifted in another vehicle but nobody was hurt.

Saurashtra’s Surendranagar, Rajkot, Amreli, Junagadh and Gir-Somnath districts were pounded by heavy rain, leaving many villages marooned.

According to reports, Vorakotda village. nearly 8km from Gondal town turned into the island due to incessant rainfall and flooding in Bhadar River. The water is flowing over the bridge that's the entry and exit point of the village.

The Gondal fire brigade team found the dead body which was identified as that of Mansukh Solanki on Thursday. He drowned on Wednesday while passing from the causeway on Vasavadi river on cycle.

Heavy rain in Porbandar district forced the administration to close down Porbandar -Jamnagar highway passing via Jam Khambhaliya and Jamrawal road.

Jamraval village of Devbhumi Dwarka district turned into an island for a few hours after 10 gates of Vartu-2 dam were opened because of heavy rain in upstream areas like Bhanvad, Jamjodhpur and Salaya. According to the district administration, the village is located in the low lying area but the situation is under control and nobody is evacuated.