Jakhau: Over 100,000 people who had sought refuge from Cyclone Biparjoy in relief camps in western India have begun to return home, officials said Saturday, as the storm weakened and moved towards Pakistan.

By midday Saturday, over 130 people had returned to their homes from a government-run shelter in the coastal village of Jakhau, where the cyclone made landfall in India's Gujarat state on Thursday.

Amit Shah, India's powerful home minister, was expected to visit the village later Saturday to assess the situation.

Also Read: In an effort to cool things down, a top US diplomat visits China for a rare visit

Electricity had been restored in many villages, according to officials, but some remained without power. Following landfall, the cyclone uprooted trees and electricity poles in hundreds of villages along Gujarat's coastal regions.

"It was terrifying, and we expected a lot of damage," said Amad, a trader in Jakhau who rents boats to fishermen under one name. "However, nature's wrath was milder than we had anticipated."

Also Read:  In southern Brazil, a cyclone results in 11 fatalities and 20 missing

He stated that there was no major damage in the village other than uprooted trees, downed power lines, and minor damage to some homes.
Wind speeds in Gujarat's coastal areas reached 85 kph (53 mph) with gusts reaching 105 kph (65 mph).

According to the India Meteorological Department, the cyclone had weakened into a deep depression and was expected to weaken further in the next 12 hours.

The full extent of the damage in Gujarat was unknown at the time. According to the Press Trust of India news agency, a man and his son died on Thursday while attempting to save their livestock in Gujarat state. In addition, 23 people were injured in various areas, according to officials.

Also Read: The common Russians on trial over Ukraine criticism are "not all cowards,"

The Gujarat government announced the deployment of 184 rapid response teams to Gir National Park, which is home to nearly 700 Asiatic lions.

According to a 2021 study, the frequency, duration, and intensity of cyclones in the Arabian Sea increased significantly between 1982 and 2019, and experts predict that this trend will continue, making natural disaster preparations even more critical.