At least eighteen individuals have lost their lives since Monday due to the severe torrential rains affecting parts of Gujarat, India, according to state officials.

Disaster response teams have been deployed to provide assistance to residents in the southern region of the state, who are bracing for additional heavy monsoon rainfall. The state government reported on Tuesday that "Eighteen people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents, while dozens have been rescued across low-lying areas by disaster response teams.”

The areas most severely impacted include the towns of Palitana and Jesar, which recorded 867 millimeters (34 inches) of rainfall over the past 24 hours. State relief commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey indicated that the fatalities were due to storms, lightning strikes, and structural collapses resulting from these extreme weather conditions.