Cyclone Biparjoy: NDRF teams evacuate 127 civilians from Gujarat's Rupen Bandar

Devbhumi Dwarka (Gujarat) [India], June 16 : A total of six National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams evacuated 127 civilians from Rupen Bandar Government Primary School and reshifted to NDH School Dwarka after Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in coastal areas of the state on Thursday evening.

According to NDRF, the evacuated civilians include 82 males, 27 females and Children 15 children.

Earlier today, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel held a meeting at the State Emergency Operations Center in Gandhinagar to take stock of the situation in the state in the wake of Cyclone Biparjoy's landfall.

The Gujarat CM ordered the District Collectors of affected areas to conduct surveys to assess the damage in their districts.

According to IMD officials, the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) hit the Kutch coast on Thursday night around 10:30-11:30 pm, about 10 km north of Jakhau Port. It has since weakened into a Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS) and is predicted to weaken further over the next few hours.

The morning after the landfall continued to show high-speed winds, heavy rainfall and rough sea conditions in various districts of Gujarat. Due to strong winds, the districts experienced damage in terms of infrastructure and the falling of electric poles and trees.

High-speed winds uprooted trees and caused road blockages and property damage in areas like Bhuj, Mandvi, Dwarka, Jamnagar, Lakhpat, Kutch district, and Naliya.

NDRF reports showed that atleast 23 people had been injured and 24 animal lives were lost as an impact of the landfall. Two people were killed before the landfall, and no human deaths have been reported thereafter. Meanwhile, around 108208 people were evacuated safely from affected districts by the district authority, NDRF, SDRF, Indian Armed Force and other official teams.

Over 594 trees and electric poles fell due to the impacts of the storm according to officials. The fallen poles caused power outages in over 940 villages in Gujarat. District officials and PGVCL (Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited) teams were seen working to restore the power.

According to officials, 597 teams were deployed, and power has been restored in the affected villages.