- A bus with 35 passengers got stranded in floodwaters in Valsad, Gujarat
- Passengers climbed on the bus roof to escape rising floodwaters and heavy rain
- Nanapondha Police and locals conducted a rescue operation using ropes and life jackets
A bus carrying at least 35 passengers on Thursday got stranded in floodwaters in Gujarat's Valsad, as the region continues to get battered with heavy rains.
The incident happened when the bus, travelling from Surat to Maharashtra, came across the deep floodwaters and got stuck right in the middle of it.
However, a prompt rescue operation carried out by Valsad's Nanapondha Police ensured that nobody got injured.
As the bus got stuck in the floodwaters, all 35 passengers climbed on its roof to save their lives even as rain poured heavily on them.
Men, women and children waited for help to arrive as they remained stranded on the top of the bus, appealing for urgent rescue.
Nanapodha Police reached the spot after receiving information. Cops, along with locals, launched the rescue operation to save the passengers.
Videos of the incident showed police personnel carrying a child to safety. They used ropes to guide the stranded people to safety, who were first provided with life jackets to wade through the water.
The Valsad district of Gujarat, as well as Navsari and Surat have been experiencing heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours, prompting the state government to launch relief and rescue operations.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi are continuously monitoring the flood situation, officials said on Thursday.
Rescue operations in the flood-affected areas of Valsad district are underway with intensified efforts. To support the local administration, 70 Army personnel with five boats, five NDRF teams, five SDRF teams, and 25 Fire Brigade personnel have been deployed, according to a report by ANI. More than 500 residents from the rural areas of Umargam, Vapi, Dharampur, and Pardi talukas have been shifted to safer locations.
