3 of family swept away in Gujarat floods, bodies recovered

Gondal (Gujarat): Three members of a family lost their lives after their car got stuck in the swollen Kolpari River in Gondal taluka in Gujarat in the wee hours of August 28.

The tragic event unfolded when the vehicle with the husband, wife, and their young son, was swept away while crossing a bridge over the swollen river.

The body of the child was found on Friday, 48 hours after the incident.

Sources said, “The Radiya family, hailing from Babra taluka, was en route to visit relatives in Big Khilori village when the vehicle became trapped in the powerful current, leaving the family stranded and helpless.

“Despite immediate efforts to locate them, the husband and wife, identified as Jayaraj Radiya (40) and Sonalben Radiya (39), were found dead approximately 10 hours after the incident. Their bodies were recovered about 200 feet downstream from the bridge.”

“Their seven-year-old son, Dharma Radiya, remained missing for two agonising days. His body was eventually discovered 48 hours later, having been carried downstream to Khambhaliya village in Saurashtra region, several kms from the initial site of the mishap. The child's remains were subsequently taken to Gondal Civil Hospital for post-mortem examination,” the sources added.

The family had embarked on their journey early on August 28, intending to reach the home of their relative Rajubhai Padmani in Big Khilori village. They were on their way to attend the final rites of a relative in Karia village in Junagadh district.

However, the heavy rains that lashed the region for days resulted in flooding of rivers and streams.

“On the afternoon of August 29, the couple's three daughters performed the final rites of their parents,” sources added.

As of August 30, Gujarat has received 111 per cent of its average seasonal rainfall.

Kutch zone recorded the highest rainfall at over 177 per cent, followed by the Saurashtra zone with more than 124 per cent and the South Gujarat zone with over 111 per cent. East-Central Gujarat received more than 105 per cent, while North Gujarat still lags with 87 per cent of the season's average rainfall.

Mundra taluka in Kutch recorded the highest with over 8 inches of rain, followed by Dwarka taluka in Devbhoomi Dwarka with more than 7 inches, and Abdasa taluka in Kutch with over 6 inches of rainfall. Anjar taluka also saw over 3 inches of rainfall. Gandhidham, Bhuj, and Lakhpat talukas in Kutch also received 2 inches of rain each.