Earthquake Hits Gujarat’s Kutch Day Before Cyclone Biparjoy’s Landfall

A day before Cyclone Biparjoy's expected landfall in Kutch, an earthquake of magnitude 3.5 struck Gujarat's Kutch district on Wednesday.

According to the Institute of Seismological Research, Gandhinagar, epicentre of the earthquake was 5 kilometres west-southwest of Bhachau in Kutch district.

The tremor was recorded at 5:05 pm at a distance of 5 km West South West (WSW) of Bhachau in Kutch district, the Institute of Seismological Research at Gandhinagar said. However, no damage to property or life was reported.

On the other hand, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Biparjoy was set to change the path on Wednesday and begin moving north-eastwards towards Kutch and Saurashtra. However, it will still have landfall as a very severe cyclonic storm with wind speed ranging from 125-135 kmph, gusting to 145 kmph from morning to evening on Thursday.

Meanwhile, 50,000 people have been evacutated from vulnerable areas as powerful cyclone 'Biparjoy' approaches the Gujarat coast. "The cyclone is nearly 290 km away from Kutch at present. As a precautionary measure, we have already shifted nearly 50,000 people living in coastal areas to temporary shelters. The evacuation process is still on and the remaining 5,000 persons will be shifted by this evening to safer places" PTI quoted State Commissioner of Relief, Alok Kumar Pandey, as saying.

Out of 50,000 people, nearly 18,000 people were shifted to shelters in Kutch district. 18 teams of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), 12 teams of SDRF (State Disaster Response Force), 115 teams of state road and building department, and 397 teams of the state electricity department have been deployed in different coastal districts, he said.

"Officials of departments of Electricity and Road & Building have also reached designated spots to restore connectivity and power supply. We have also deployed teams carrying HAM Radio sets and satellite phones in the coastal region for better communication," Pandey added.

As the cyclone advances towards the Gujarat coast, parts of the Saurashtra-Kutch region received heavy rains accompanied by strong winds. Nine talukas in Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Porbandar and Rajkot districts received more than 50 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending on Wednesday morning.