At least 18 dead as torrential rains batter India’s Gujarat

(AFP): At least 18 people have died since Monday as torrential rains lashed parts of India's western Gujarat, state officials said on Wednesday.

Disaster response teams have been deployed to help residents in the south of the state, who are bracing for more heavy monsoon rainfall.

"18 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents, while dozens have been rescued across low-lying areas by disaster response teams," the state government said late Tuesday.

The worst-hit areas included Palitana and Jesar towns, which on Tuesday registered 867 millimetres (34 inches) of rain over the past 24 hours.

State relief commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey said the 18 deaths were the result of storms, lightning strikes, and structural collapses due to rough weather.

"The state is fully geared to handle the situation, and inter-departmental coordination is being intensified to ensure swift relief and rescue operations," Pandey said.

Those rescued included 18 farm labourers who were trapped in mango orchards in the Gadhada area, and 22 people in Surendranagar district where waters from an overflowing river gushed into their homes.

India's annual monsoon season from June to September offers respite from the intense summer heat and is crucial for replenishing water supplies.

But scores of people die each year during the rainy season due to flash floods and landslides across India, a country of 1.4 billion people.