No lives lost after Cyclone Biparjoy landfall in Gujarat, says NDRF DG

Image used for representational purpose. Pic/PTI

No lives were lost after Cyclone Biparjoy made a landfall in Gujarat, however, 23 people were injured and electricity supply was disrupted in about 1,000 villages in the state, NDRF Director General Atul Karwal said on Friday.

The Arabian Sea cyclone ripped through Kutch and parts of Saurashtra region of Gujarat leaving a trail of destruction. Heavy rains lashed the entire Kutch district since the cyclone started making landfall near Jakhau Port from 6.30 pm on Thursday and the process continued till 2.30 am, according to officials.

Karwal said while two lives unfortunately were lost before the landfall, not a single human life was lost post the landfall in Gujarat.

This is because of the efforts of the Gujarat administration and other agencies that worked to ensure the least loss of life and property, he added. The Director General (DG) National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said at least 23 people were injured due to the cyclonic effect.

He said about 1,000 villages were facing electricity disruption in the state.

The DG added that about 40 per cent disruptions alone were in Kutch district that bore the maximum brunt of the cyclone.

About 500 'kutcha' or thatched houses have been damaged and 800 trees uprooted or hit, and our teams and those from the state disaster response force are working to normalise the situation and help those affected, Karwal said.

Except Rajkot, no place is Gujarat is experiencing heavy rains, he said.

The DG said the cyclone is now headed towards south Rajasthan and the NDRF has already positioned a team in Jalore after consultation with the state government as heavy rains may lead to a situation of flooding and people getting trapped.

A total of 18 NDRF teams, equipped with pole and tree cutters and inflatable boats, are deployed in Gujarat to undertake rescue and relief operations. Five teams in Mumbai and four in Karnataka are actively deployed to respond to any situation that develops due to the cyclone on Friday, Karwal said.

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