5 fall into rain-filled pit in Gujarat; officials ask commuters to avoid route

The first spell of monsoon rain in Gujarat's Junagadh has exposed gaps in the municipal corporation's pre-monsoon preparations, with at least five people falling into rain-filled pits and open drains in separate incidents captured on CCTV cameras.

The incidents, reported from Azad Chowk and Oghadnagar, have raised serious road safety concerns after waterlogging concealed excavated stretches of road and open drains.

In the most serious incident, CCTV footage from Azad Chowk showed a motorcycle carrying a man and a woman falling into a large rain-filled pit. According to the information provided, the administration had dug up the road but had not completed proper patchwork, leaving behind a deep pit. Rainwater covered the excavation, making it invisible to commuters.

The rider fell into the pit and became trapped. CCTV footage showed blood flowing from his head after the fall, and he appeared to stagger while trying to get up. The woman travelling with him helped him after the accident. The rider suffered serious injuries to his head, hands and legs and was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

The incident has intensified criticism over incomplete road and sewer work in the city, with local residents expressing anger over what they describe as administrative negligence.

Separate CCTV footage from the Oghadnagar area showed three to four more people falling into the same open pit and drain at different times on the first day of the monsoon, taking the total number of victims across the reported incidents to at least five.

In one incident, a woman walking with her young daughter fell into a water-covered open drain after failing to notice it beneath the rainwater. People nearby rushed to the spot and safely rescued both of them.

In another incident, a vehicle rider lost balance and fell headfirst into the open drain. Residents from nearby houses immediately came out and helped him out.

A third person, who was walking on the road in the rain, also fell into the open drain. According to the information provided, none of the people involved in the Oghadnagar incidents suffered serious injuries.

Responding to the incidents, Deputy Commissioner Jadeja said pre-monsoon work was underway when people used the affected roads and met with accidents. He said authorities have now installed barricades, banners and danger warning boards at the locations.

Standing Committee Chairperson Pallavi Thakar defended the civic body's position, saying people were acting carelessly by using roads where road and sewer work was in progress. She said authorities regularly advise people not to use such routes, but many continue to pass through them. She added that the civic body is once again appealing to residents to exercise caution and avoid these locations.

The incidents, all reported on the first day of the monsoon, have put Junagadh's pre-monsoon preparedness under scrutiny and highlighted the road safety risks posed by unfinished road and sewer work during heavy rainfall.

- Ends