5 die in heavy rains in western India

At least five people have died in heavy rains in the western Indian state of Gujarat in the past 24 hours, officials said Saturday.

"Heavy rains have been lashing the state since Friday. Five persons have died in the state's Saurashtra region, one each in districts and cities such as Surendrnagar, Rajkot, Aravali, Gandhinagar and Banaskantha," a senior disaster management official said.

More than 2,000 people have been rescued from low-lying areas in the region and shifted to safer locations, he added.

State Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has called a high-level meeting to ensure that emergency services are on the alert as rains are not showing any immediate signs of ebbing. "The Chief Minister is personally taking stock of the situation," a government official said.

Local TV channels reported that additional disaster management teams have been dispatched to the state to help those affected by rains and also showed footage of some rivers flowing near the danger mark.

Gujarat is not the only Indian state affected by monsoon rains.

India's northeastern region, particularly the state of Assam, has also been highly affected by heavy rains and so far more than 85 people have died there in nearly nine days of showers, according to the central government.

source: xinhua