Surat: As floodwaters receded across Surat on Thursday, they revealed the human tragedy left in the wake of 24 hours of torrential rain. Thirteen more bodies were recovered from different parts of the city, taking the death toll to 26, as families waited for missing relatives and authorities continued search operations.Officials said all the victims were men and had died due to drowning. “Most of them were trying to return home when they were caught in the sudden surge of floodwaters,” a senior civic official said.Four bodies were recovered from Bhestan, including one that is yet to be identified. Three bodies, including those of a 17-year-old boy and a 25-year-old contractual employee of Surat Municipal Corporation, were found in Limbayat. An elderly resident of Sachin GIDC was found dead near his shop, while two bodies were recovered by Laskana police.The body of a 27-year-old mechanic, who had gone missing after being swept away near Valak Patiya, was recovered from the Tapi river beneath the Amroli bridge on Thursday evening. Two more drowning victims were found in Saroli and Puna.Even as the city counted its dead, chief minister Bhupendra Patel announced a Rs 500 crore package for creek redevelopment, promising a long-term solution to Surat’s recurring flooding. Patel took stock of the situation in the city and later visited equally battered Navsari.Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi warned of strict legal action against officials and contractors if investigations found substandard civic works or negligence had contributed to the flood crisis.
