NEW DELHI, June 18, (Xinhua): At least four people were killed and three others went missing after a car carrying nine passengers was swept away in a swollen river in India's western state of Gujarat, officials said Wednesday. Two people have been rescued, and the operation to trace the missing is underway. The car was swept away in a river about 174 km southwest of Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat.

According to officials, torrential rains on Tuesday hit many parts of Gujarat, raising the water level in rivers and water bodies, leading to the closure of some roads and causeways. Authorities sought help from National Disaster Response Force teams to evacuate the trapped villagers in the waterlogged areas and search for the missing in the river. Every year, severe monsoon rains wreak havoc in many Indian states and thus cause deaths of people and damage to the infrastructure.