Powerful winds reaching 110 kmph cause significant damage in Vadodara and surrounding areas

Vadodara, 26 September: Heavy rains accompanied by a fierce storm wreaked havoc across Gujarat, particularly in Vadodara, over the past 24 hours. The severe storm, which struck on Wednesday evening, claimed the lives of four people and caused extensive damage to infrastructure. More than 300 trees were uprooted, electricity poles were knocked down, and dozens of billboards were torn from their mounts. 

Among the hardest-hit areas was Valsad district's Umarpada, which saw 7 inches of rainfall. The storm, which reached speeds of up to 110 kmph, led to widespread destruction, with Vadodara suffering the most.

The storm resulted in the tragic deaths of four individuals, including a 24-year-old civil engineer. Another victim, Kiran Singh Rathod (50), from Padra Tehsil, died when a large eucalyptus tree fell on him while he was riding his motorcycle. Jagdish Hirpara (45), a resident of Varachha in Surat, died when a large signboard collapsed onto his car while he was traveling on the highway. Janak Ninama (29), originally from Dahod, lost his life after his motorcycle slipped near a toll booth while traveling from Halol to Vadodara.

The bodies of all four victims have been sent for post-mortem examinations at Sayaji Hospital.

Vadodara's fire department reported that 14 cars, 14 two-wheelers, and one rickshaw were damaged due to the storm. As of Thursday morning, the fire department had cleared 150 fallen trees, but efforts to remove more debris from across the city are ongoing.

The electricity supply was also disrupted, with 40 power feeders shutting down due to the storm. Superintendent of Electricity, Dharmesh Patel, confirmed that most of the city's power has been restored, but work is still underway to restore power in areas such as Tarsali and Mandvi.

Authorities continue to clear the wreckage and restore normalcy in Vadodara as the cleanup process progresses.