Bharuch, Oct 14 (IANS): Four people died on Monday when a change in weather led to thunderstorms and heavy rains in the Bharuch district which took place near the village of Padariya where people were taking shelter under a tree when lightning struck, killing three of them and injuring two.

Additionally, a youth in Hansot was also killed by a lightning strike, bringing the total death toll to four, with two others injured.

As Bharuch experienced heavy rainfall during the evening, many roads across the district were flooded, causing severe inconvenience to commuters. Continuous rainfall caused waterlogging in several areas, including Kasak Canal, where two and four were stranded.

Several housing societies in the eastern part of Bharuch City reported flooding due to incomplete work by contractors despite only one hour of rainfall. In some areas, including Zadeshwar village, more than 25 societies faced waterlogging, forcing residents to remain indoors. Residents expressed frustration at the negligence of contractors and local authorities.

Among them, Habib Akbar Malek (59), his son Shakeel Habib Malek (37), both residents of Choranda village in Karjan, and Manish Suresh Vasava (28) of Karjan were declared dead by doctors upon being taken for medical attention. Two others were hospitalized with injuries.

In the Ambheta village of Hansot taluka, 28-year-old Sunil Vasava, who was returning from fishing, was struck by lightning and killed. In total, the one-hour thunderstorm claimed the lives of four people.

Meanwhile, out of Gujarat's 33 districts, only three—Gandhinagar, Botad, and Mahisagar—did not experience rain in the past 24 hours. The remaining 30 districts saw rainfall ranging from light to heavy. Among those with heavy rainfall (64.5 mm to 115.5 mm), Kutch recorded the highest at 88.8 mm, followed by Surendranagar with 77 mm and Junagadh with 75 mm. Other districts that experienced heavy rain included Surat, Dang, and Chhota Udepur.