Heavy Rains Trigger Flooding in India and Pakistan, Thousands Evacuated as Cyclone Looms

Heavy rains have pounded coastal areas of India and Pakistan along the Arabian Sea, flooding cities in India’s Gujarat state and forcing thousands to evacuate, as authorities predict a cyclonic storm to develop by Friday.

In Gujarat, people waded through waist-high waters, with vehicles and roads partially submerged, according to Reuters footage. At least 28 people have died in the state this week due to rain-related incidents, officials reported, as meteorologists in both India and Pakistan warned of more heavy downpours and strong winds expected to hit the coast.

“There is no electricity for the last two days,” said Prabhu Ram Soni, a resident of Gujarat’s coastal city of Jamnagar. “I have an eight-month-old daughter and an asthma patient, my mother, who is on oxygen support.”

Since Sunday, over 18,000 people have been evacuated from cities near the coast, according to disaster management authorities. The army is also assisting in relief efforts in the state, which was severely impacted by Cyclone Biparjoy last year, leading to significant infrastructure damage and the evacuation of more than 180,000 people.

Jamnagar, home to the world’s largest oil refinery complex owned by Reliance, also faced heavy rainfall, according to district collector B K Pandya. Nearby in Vadinar, Nayara Energy, backed by Russian groups including Rosneft, operates another refinery. Both facilities remain operational despite the severe weather, Pandya confirmed, while noting that authorities are prioritizing rescue operations in the district.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that a deep depression off Gujarat is expected to strengthen into a cyclonic storm by Friday, though it is forecast to move away from the Indian coast over the next two days.

In Pakistan, authorities have warned fishermen to stay ashore until Saturday. The heavy rains have already triggered flash floods in Karachi, leading to power outages, according to media reports. Pakistani officials have also issued warnings of potential flash floods in two districts of Sindh province, which is still recovering from the devastating floods of 2022 that inundated large parts of the country and damaged the economy.

The IMD has also forecast extremely heavy rainfall in Gujarat’s Bharuch, Kutch, and Saurashtra districts on Friday.