No deaths took place due to Cyclone Biparjoy after it made landfall in Gujarat, National Disaster Response Force Atul Karwal said on Saturday, according to NDTV.
The official clarified that two deaths linked to the cyclone took place before it made landfall. He was referring to the deaths of a shepherd named Ram Parmar (55) and his son Rajesh (22) on Thursday. Both of them were swept away in a flooded stream when trying to save their livestock from drowning, according to The Indian Express.
Karwal said that 23 persons were injured due to the cyclone. About 800 trees were uprooted, around 500 homes suffered damage, and power supply was disrupted in over 1,000 villages, the official said.
The National Disaster Response Force said that the Kutch district was the worst hit due to electricity outages, with over 40% of its area having lost power.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that not a single death took place in the cyclone, and remarked that it was a matter of great satisfaction. He congratulated the Gujarat government, disaster management authorities and local officials for their response to the cyclone.
Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in Gujarat’s Saurashtra and Kutch regions as a very severe cyclonic storm in the early hours of Friday. Heavy rainfall was reported in Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka and Bhavnagar.
Heavy rains were also reported in Rajasthan’s Jalore, Barmer and Sirohi districts on Friday.
The cyclone weakened into a deep depression around 11.30 pm on Friday over southeastern Pakistan, the India Meteorological Department said.
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