70 Jhabua Tribal Workers Return Safe After Two-Day Flood Ordeal In Gujarat

Meghnagar (Madhya Pradesh): More than 70 tribal labourers from Kalapipal village in Jhabua district returned home safely after being stranded for two days in flood-hit Valsad district of Gujarat.

The workers, who had been employed at a construction site for the past two to three months, said floodwaters rose suddenly on the night of July 20, trapping them on the second floor of an under-construction building.

The group, which included women and children, remained stranded as water levels reached nearly 20 feet.

Labourers said they faced an acute shortage of food, drinking water and basic essentials, while their clothes, grain and wages were washed away.

They recorded video messages seeking help from family members and local representatives.

Villagers, including Madan, Palkesh, Nanda, Kanta, Manga and Bhura, described the ordeal as the most frightening experience of their lives.

Bhura said the group escaped through waist-deep water in the early hours of July 22, then reached a safe location the following day.

The labourers alleged they received no direct government rescue or relief assistance during the crisis, although this claim could not be independently verified. They eventually returned to Kalapipal with the help of residents and their contractor