Cyclone Biparjoy: State of emergency declared in Pakistan’s Balochistan province

Pakistan's Balochistan province has declared a state of emergency in its coastal areas as Cyclone Biparjoy brews in the Arabian Sea and approaches the Makran belt. The state of emergency was declared by Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo and Section 144 has also been imposed.

According to a report in The Express Tribune, all departments and law enforcement agencies have been put on high alert to deal with the impending threat, and the leaves of government employees in the Makran belt have been cancelled.

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CM Bizenjo has ordered the commissioners of the Makran and Kalat divisions to increase coordination in order to avoid any untoward incident. He has also directed concerned departments to engage with the fishermen who have extensive knowledge of the sea.

According to a report in ARY News, the Sindh government has cancelled and postponed all examinations and other educational activities in Karachi from 14 June due to the threat of Cyclone Biparjoy.

Furthermore, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon had earlier informed that 58,895 people had been evacuated from the districts of Badin, Sujawal and Thatta.

Cyclone Biparjoy has continued to move north-northwest over the past six hours and is now about 380 kilometres south of Karachi and 390 kilometres south of Thatta, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

"Maximum sustained surface winds are 140-150 Km/hour gusts 170 Km/hour around the system centre and sea conditions being phenomenal around the system centre with maximum wave height 30 feet," ARY News quoted PMD as saying

Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to track northwards until June 14, then turn northeastwards and cross between Keti Bandar and the Indian coast of Gujarat on June 15.

Dust/thunderstorms with few heavy rains along with gusty winds of 60-80 km/h are likely to affect Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allayar, Shaheed Benazirabad and Sanghar districts from June 14-16.

(With inputs from ANI)