Cyclone Biparjoy, which made landfall on the Gujarat coast with a fierce wind speed of 140 km/h on Thursday evening, left a visible path of destruction that continued to be evident on Friday.
With the collapse of hundreds of transformers as many as 1,000 villages plunged into darkness, some 500 houses were damaged, 23 people were injured and a staggering 800 trees got uprooted as the cyclone made landfall near Jakhau coast in Kutch.
2 people killed
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) chief said two people were killed before the landfall by the impact of the strong winds and heavy rains, while official sources indicated that three others had died earlier in the week.
NDRF Director-General and Gujarat cadre IPS officer Atul Karwal said, “Two lives were lost before the landfall, which is tragic but there were no deaths after the cyclone struck.”
According to him, the 500 houses damaged are mostly huts or non-concrete houses. “There is mobile phone connectivity and the number of concrete houses damaged is in single digits,” Karwal added.
NDRF teams sent to Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan
He said NDRF teams have also been sent to Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan as heavy rains were expected there as well.
“This extremely severe cyclonic storm has diluted to a severe cyclone. By (Friday) evening, it would convert into a deep depression. We are told it is losing its force gradually. The winds are still (Friday afternoon) high in Kutch, while at other places, it is less than 70 km per hour. Only Rajkot received heavy rains. The roads are clear. Our teams are on the ground,” he said.
The landfall process began around 5.15 pm on Thursday with the wall cloud of the cyclone touching the Saurashtra coast and it continued until late night. Jakhau and Mandvi towns in Kutch district were the worst affected by the ferocious storm.
Low-lying localities take a hit
Many low-lying localities were flooded following the incessant rain, while temporary sheds and hoardings collapsed due to the winds. However, official sources said detailed surveys would only begin now after the cyclone and once the rains stopped. The actual damage would be known during the next couple of days.
Officials confirmed media reports that a Coast Guard vessel drifted away by the impact of the strong winds at the Kankai jetty on the Okha harbour, while another vessel developed some snags in the engine and started drifting.
Heavy to extremely heavy rains continued in Okha, Naliya, Bhuj, Dwarka, Kandla and Porbandar, while a heavy rain warning has been issued for the North Gujarat region close to Ahmedabad city as well as Rajasthan on Saturday and Sunday.
