Cyclone hits Gujurat with major intensity causing 200,000 to be evacuated in the middle of a nation already ravaged by COVID19
Darpan News Desk Darpan, 17 May, 2021 09:57 PM
A severe cyclone has battered the western state of Gujarat with speeds of upto 160km/hr in the already ravaged COVID nation.
Cyclone Tauktae has claimed the lives of at least 12 people and close to 200,000 have been evacuated.
Even the navy has sent three warships to try to rescue hundreds of people stranded off the coast in two barges.
The impact of the cyclone has been so intense that it has uprooted trees and electricity poles.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his message regarding tackling the natural calamity.
Reviewed preparedness on Cyclone Tauktae including ensuring essential supplies, continuing the COVID-19 fight and more. Praying for everyone’s safety and well-being. https://t.co/u5TShCdeC1
On Tuesday morning, The India Meteorological Department shared a Twitter post regarding the strength of the cyclone.
VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM ‘TAUKTAE’ WOULD MOVE NORTH-NORTHEAST WARDS AND WEAKEN GRADUALLY INTO A CYCLONIC STORM DURING NEXT 03 HOURS.
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 18, 2021
Late on Monday local time, IMD announced that the "extremely severe cyclonic storm" had begun to make landfall in Gujarat. It took several hours for the eye of the cyclone to come ashore.
Tauktae is the strongest cyclone to strike the region since 1998 and both Gujarat and Maharashtra have been on high alert.
Although Covid cases are declining in both states, the fatal effects of India's second wave are still being felt.
More than 200,000 people in low-lying areas were moved to shelters, creating fear of a surge in coronavirus cases. The federal government has also ordered the vaccine drive to be halted in several coastal towns believed to be at risk.
The storm is also adding greater patients to the already overcrowded Indian hospitals. Mumbai has already moved 580 Covid positive patients from the areas dedicated to COVID19 to civic hospitals as a precaution.
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