4 dead, 3 missing as car swept away in Gujarat's Botad; rescue ops begin

At least four people died and three others are missing after an Eco car carrying nine passengers was swept away in a river in Gujarat's Botad district, an NDRF official said on Wednesday. Two people were rescued, while search operations are still ongoing.

Inspector Vinay Kumar Bhati, Team Commander of the 6th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), said the incident happened during early hours and involved a vehicle that was possibly operating as a shared tempo.

Speaking to ANI, NDRF Team Commander Inspector Vinay Kumar Bhati of the sixth Battalion, said, "My team was deployed in Rajkot. We received information in the morning that a few people were stuck in Botad and needed to be rescued. We rushed to Botad but found that all roads to the city were blocked due to the waterlogging."

He explained that accessing Botad was difficult due to roadblocks.

"Accessing Botad city wasn't easy. We tried alternate village routes, which were narrow and congested, but they too were blocked. Eventually, with the help of the district administration, we managed to reach the town from the inside around 7:30 pm. From 7:30 pm to 11:30 pm, we carried out operations in the interior areas," he said.

He added that the team's vehicles were damaged during the operation, and they returned to base by 3:30 am.

Giving more details of the tragedy, Bhati said: "The incident occurred yesterday morning. The Eco car, possibly a shared tempo, was carrying nine individuals when it was swept away by the river. Two people were rescued immediately."

He confirmed that four bodies have been recovered so far. The search operation is underway to locate the remaining three individuals.

The NDRF is continuing its operation at the site with support from local authorities.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, eighteen people were killed in rain-related incidents in Gujarat, and teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed across all districts.

On the rain situation in Gujarat, State Emergency Commissioner Alok Pandey told reporters on Tuesday, "...The CM held a meeting regarding the incessant rains in the state during the last two days... The CM spoke to the District Magistrate of 25 districts and instructed them to take steps so that the loss of life and property is minimal..."

The gates of the Khambhada Dam in Botad district of Gujarat were opened on Tuesday due to a significant rise in water levels following incessant rainfall, exacerbating severe waterlogging across the region.

The downpour has led to the closure of Gadgda Road near the Botad Circle and the flooding of urban and rural areas in Gadhada, prompting extensive rescue operations and the relocation of residents and their farm animals to safety.

The situation in Botad is part of a broader weather crisis affecting Gujarat, with Amreli district also experiencing severe impacts.