At least 19 killed as powerful cyclone lashes India
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A motor rickshaw passing a billboard damaged by Cyclone Tauktae near Amreli in Gujarat yesterday. According to the Indian Meteorological department, the cyclone was categorised as "extremely severe" but has weakened to a "very severe" storm after making landfall.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
AHMEDABAD (Gujarat) • A cyclone on India's west coast has killed at least 19 people and damaged infrastructure and agriculture, with heavy rain lashing some regions as weather officials said the storm's intensity had weakened.
Cyclone Tauktae, which made landfall in the western state of Gujarat late on Monday, has hit power supply in 2,400 villages in the state, damaging 1,000 electricity pylons, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said yesterday.
Nearly 160 roads have been destroyed, 40,000 trees uprooted and houses damaged, he added.
"Heavy rain and wind speeds of up to 110kmh are continuing in many places, and the whole administration remains on standby to deal with any situation," he said.
More than 200,000 people were evacuated from their homes in Gujarat before Tauktae made landfall, packing gusts of up to 210kmh.
The cyclone, which was categorised as "extremely severe", weakened to a "very severe" storm after making landfall, said the Indian Meteorological department. The intensity was expected to reduce further.
Tauktae, the most powerful cyclone in more than two decades, piles pressure on India which is already grappling with a staggering spike in coronavirus cases and deaths as well as a shortage of beds and oxygen in hospitals.
"Our priority is to clear the roads, so there is no impact on oxygen movement due to the cyclone," said Mr Gaurang Makwana, the top official of Bhavnagar district in Gujarat.
Mr Rupani said oxygen manufacturing had not been hit and hospitals with Covid-19 patients remained unaffected.
A survey has been initiated in Gujarat to ascertain the agricultural losses due to the cyclone.
"The standing crops would suffer definite losses, especially in Saurashtra where the cyclone hit the hardest," said Mr Manish Bhardwaj, principal secretary at the state agriculture department.
Before reaching Gujarat, the cyclone left a trail of destruction as it brushed past the coastal states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, as well as Maharashtra, home to India's financial hub of Mumbai.
While barrelling through India's west coast, the cyclone also sank a barge hired by state-run explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), prompting a massive operation to rescue 91 people missing from the vessel.
"Long-range maritime surveillance aircraft were assisting the rescue effort but bad weather was hampering operations," said Indian Navy spokesman Vivek Madhwal. He added that about 177 people who were on the barge were rescued in a night-long operation.
Another warship of the Indian Navy was deployed to rescue 296 people from two other ONGC-operated barges adrift in high seas, said Mr Madhwal.
Ports in Gujarat remained closed yesterday because of the turbulent sea conditions and high wind speed, according to a state government official handling port operations. No damage was reported at the refineries and sea ports expected to be in the storm's path.
REUTERS, BLOOMBERG
200,000 Number of people who were evacuated from their homes in Gujarat before Cyclone Tauktae made landfall.
2,400 Number of villages where power supply was hit when the cyclone made landfall in the state.
