At least 37 passengers, including 29 from Tamil Nadu, were rescued on Friday after a tourist bus they were travelling in was stranded on a flooded causeway in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district amid heavy rainfall. According to the police, the bus got stuck on the raised path on a stream near Koliyak village on Thursday evening.
A video posted by news agency PTI shows the bus inundated in the floodwaters. Alongside, a minitruck carrying the rescued passengers can also be seen stranded in the floods.
According to the district collector, RK Mehta, despite the causeway being submerged in floodwaters, the bus driver decided to cross the river. However, due to the force of the water, the front of the bus dipped into the river while the rear remained stuck on the causeway, he said, reported PTI.
“During the operation, rescuers reached the site in a mini-truck and transferred all the passengers from the bus, its driver and cleaner to the vehicle through the rear window of the bus,” he added.
However, shortly after, the mini-truck got stranded as well.
“We then sent a large truck and transferred these 29 persons on that vehicle. Around 3 am, after nearly eight hours, all of them were brought to safety. We provided them with accommodation and food in Bhavnagar. We have also conducted their medical tests,” the collector said, as quoted by PTI.
Most of the passengers were senior citizens, the police said.
‘Orange’ alert in Gujarat
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an ‘orange’ alert in Gujarat on Friday, predicting very heavy rainfall.
“Heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely at isolated places over Gujarat region on September 27; isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall also very likely over Saurashtra and Kutch on September 27; and isolated heavy rainfall very likely over Gujarat region, Saurashtra and Kutch on September 28,” the weather department wrote in its bulletin.
(With inputs from PTI)