Man Dies As Four Vehicles Get Trapped In Flooded Kadi Underpass, 6 Others Rescued

Ahmedabad: Even before the monsoon has arrived, unseasonal downpours are already revealing the cracks in Gujarat’s urban infrastructure. On Sunday night, torrential rains lashed Kadi town, flooding a key underpass on Thol Road with nearly 12 feet of water, trapping multiple vehicles and resulting in the tragic death of a 40-year-old man.

Among the vehicles stuck were a dump truck filled with soil, a goods carrier loaded with timber, and two cars — an Alto and a Scorpio. Rescue teams from the Mehsana Fire Department, the Kadi Municipal Fire Brigade, and local swimmers managed to pull six people to safety. However, Harshadkumar Bhogilal Panchal, the Scorpio driver originally from Meda Adraj and currently residing in Ahmedabad, was found dead.

The Scorpio and Alto were later retrieved from the flooded underpass. Panchal was initially rushed to Bhagyoday Hospital in Kadi, but was declared dead and transferred to Civil Hospital for post-mortem.

Sunday evening’s weather marked a dramatic shift after a day of scorching heat. Thunderstorms, gusty winds, and lightning led to the unseasonal showers, leaving several parts of the town waterlogged. Once again, as in previous years, the underpass flooding exposed the lack of pre-monsoon preparedness.

Kadi’s sub-divisional magistrate Ashish Miyatra confirmed that water had filled the underpass due to the heavy rains. Authorities had barricaded the entry, but an unknown driver allegedly removed the barrier, allowing the vehicles to enter the flooded zone and get stuck.