Monsoon Weather News LIVE Updates: Heavy rain continues to batter Gujarat; PM monitoring flood situation

As heavy rains lashed Gujarat for the first 15 days of the monsoon season, State Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has said that with the timely decisions taken by his government more than 33,000 people have been evacuated and the loss to life and property has been brought under control. Patel on Thursday said, "There are currently 18 NDRF teams and 18 SDRF platoons operating across the state. Another eight teams are in reserve."

The rain death toll in the state in the last six days rose to at least 15 on Thursday with four more dying in two separate incidents. While two were rescue workers washed away in Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district whose bodies were found on Thursday, the other two were electrocuted during repairs in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri. Heavy rains filled reservoirs and the situation was grim at Bhadrachalam, with the Godavari touching 62. 50 feet till 7pm, way above the third and final warning level of 53 feet. At least 10,535 people were evacuated from submerged villages in Bhadrachalam, Burgampahad, Aswapuram, Manuguru, Pinapaka, Kara- kagudem and Kothagudem and put in 48 relief camps. Local authorities have imposed section 144 in Bhadrachalam asking people not to venture out of their homes.

A 16-year-old girl has died of illness in Dabhoi taluka of Vadodara that is facing flood fury over the last two days. Renuka Vasava was a resident of Sejpur village and she had been keeping ill for the last two days . Her family could not take her to the hospital reportedly due to the flood waters around.On Thursday, they managed to take her to a clinic but she could not survive the journey. Her body was taken back to her village in an ambulance but that too could not reach the destination due to floodwaters on the way.

Hectic rescue operations were mounted by various agencies including National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), SDRF and fire brigade in Navsari, Tapi and Vadodara districts. At least 100 people were rescued by te ams of NDRF and I ndian Coast Guard as they were trapped in flood waters in Navsari. The NDRF team rescued about 63 people including two pregnant women and 29 children from Kandari village of Karjan that was flooded. The team also rescued 150 people in Shambhoi vi llage who were stranded as Dhadhar riv er water swelled within hours.

Flood situation remained grim in south Gujarat on Thursday as heavy rain continued to pound Navsari and other districts while Ahmedabad-Mumbai highway was closed for traffic due to severe waterlogging near Chikhli. Rivers like Purna and Ambika were flowing menacingly due to continuous downpour, leaving most areas of Navsari and Bilimora towns in knee-deep waters. Besides Navsari, Valsad, Vadodara and Tapi districts were also reeling from the rain onslaught for the fourth consecutive day.