Disasters & Accidents

Cyclone Tauktae leaves over 100 dead in western India

New Delhi, May 20 (EFE).- The number of people dead due to the passage of Cyclone Tauktae along the western coast of India increased to 108 on Thursday, after the authorities confirmed the death of at least 49 people from the sinking of a ship, while the search continues for some 30 missing crew members.

The extremely severe cyclone passed over the coastal states of Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat, where it made landfall late Monday and has since then weakened into a depression.

According to the India Meteorological Department, Tauktae hit Gujarat with sustained winds of between 144 and 165 kilometers per hour, and gusts of 185 kmph.

Officials on Wednesday confirmed that 45 people were dead in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state.

At least six people died in neighboring Maharashtra and eight in Karnataka.

Heavy rains and winds disrupted the power supply in thousands of villages and caused extensive damage to some 16,500 homes, officials estimated.

The cyclone forced the evacuation of more than 200,000 people in Gujarat and around 12,500 in Maharashtra.

Heavy rains and winds disrupted the power supply in thousands of villages and caused extensive damage to some 16,500 homes, officials estimated.

Meanwhile, search operations continue to try to locate more survivors from those missing after the vessel P-305 sank Monday with 273 passengers on board some 35 nautical miles from the coastal city of Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra.

The searchers aided with naval ships and surveillance helicopters have so far rescued 188 people while the hunt for some 30 missing continues in the waters off the coast.

“Indian Navy ships and aircraft continue to search for the missing crew members,” a Navy spokesperson tweeted, adding that the coast guard had also joined the efforts.

The sinking of the boat triggered numerous criticisms across the country, given that meteorological services and the authorities had warned of the arrival of the cyclone, while several vessels apparently underestimated the magnitude of its impact.

“Action must be taken against those who are incharge and did not take the decision of evacuation at the right time. They must be held responsible and punished,” tweeted Nawab Malik, a minister in the regional government of Maharashtra.

Tauktae added to woes as India registers a record number of daily Covid-19 infections and deaths amid a devastating second wave of the pandemic.

Vaccination drive got suspended in many cyclone-hit areas as the storm also put hospitals at risk.

Cyclones often hit the Indian coast, leaving a trail of death and destruction.

Seven people lost their lives when Cyclone Burevi struck southern Indian last December, damaging hundreds of homes.

In May 2020, Super-Cyclone Amphan killed more than 100 people in India and Bangladesh. EFE

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