India, Pakistan evacuate thousands ahead of cyclone

By Meryl Sebastian, June 14: Tens of thousands have been evacuated in India and Pakistan as parts of the countries brace for an extremely severe cyclone to hit on Thursday evening.

Biparjoy – a cyclone over the Arabian Sea – is forecast to make landfall in Kutch in the western Indian state of Gujarat.

In Pakistan, the storm is expected to hit the coast of Sindh province and affect parts of Karachi city.

Seven people have died in India amid heavy rains.

The Gujarat government said it has evacuated nearly 38,000 people to safety from its coastal districts. The weather office has warned people of blackouts and floods.

Trains in the region have been suspended while the ports of Kandla and Mundra – two of the largest in the country – have stopped operations, authorities said.

The Indian Coast Guard said it evacuated 50 workers from an oil rig off the Gujarat coast on Tuesday.

People have been told to avoid visiting beaches and fishermen have been asked to not venture into the sea.

Three people were killed in Kutch and Rajkot districts as heavy rains and strong winds hit Gujarat’s coastal areas, uprooting trees and resulting in a wall collapse, authorities said.

Several parts of the neighbouring Maharashtra state have also witnessed heavy rains and high tidal waves.

Four boys, who went missing after venturing into the Arabian Sea off Mumbai’s Juhu area, were found dead on Monday evening, police said.

In Pakistan, the national disaster management authority said it will evacuate nearly 100,000 people by Wednesday morning, moving them to temporary shelters and relief camps.

The country’s weather office forecast heavy rains and squally winds for the Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Allayar, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Sanghar districts.

Pakistan is still reeling from the aftermath of the devastating 2022 floods which submerged large parts of the country and killed almost 1,700 people.

BBC