As many as eight persons were killed in rain-related incidents and more than 800 people evacuated after swollen rivers and overflowing dams cut off several villages and inundated low-lying areas in large parts of Gujarat amid torrential downpour on Wednesday, officials said.

Normal life was thrown out of gear as heavy rains pounded south and Gujarat districts like Vadodara, Surat, Bharuch and Anand since the morning, prompting authorities to declare a holiday for schools and colleges in some places for the day, they said.