Cyclone Tauktae claims 45 lives in Gujarat

Cyclone Tauktae is the strongest storm to impact Gujarat since 1998 as it battered parts of the state and left behind a trail of destruction along the coast, uprooting electric poles and trees, and damaging several houses and roads, before weakening, officials said on Tuesday.

Ahmedabad: At least 45 people have lost their lives after cyclone Tauktae struck Gujarat, officials said on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the state to review the situation and the damage caused by the storm.

He will also hold a review meeting with officials at Ahmedabad.

Tauktae is the strongest storm to impact Gujarat since 1998 as it battered parts of the state and left behind a trail of destruction along the coast, uprooting electric poles and trees, and damaging several houses and roads, before weakening, officials said on Tuesday.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday held talks with his Gujarat counterpart Vijay Rupani to discuss the impact of Cyclone Tauktae after the storm made landfall a day earlier.

The cyclone has become weak but heavy rains are likely to continue, with wind speeds reaching 125 kilometres per hour, the weather department has said.

Cyclone tauktae has impacted the weather conditions in several parts of northern India. Many areas like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi are likely to witness rainfall.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had on May 17 held a meeting to review the preparedness and assistance being provided by the Armed Forces to civil authorities to tackle the situation arising out of Cyclone Tauktae.

Singh has assured that 11 Indian Navy Diving Teams have been kept on standby in case of any request from authorities of affected states.

The Gujarat government had also evacuated people living in coastal areas to safer places after the India Meteorological Department issued warnings of tidal waves and flooding following the cyclone.

Rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Indian Army have been sent to severely hit regions in Gujarat state, and the region of Diu. Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard and the Navy deployed ships and helicopters for relief, search and rescue operations.

Air Force and units of the army, with boats and rescue equipment are on standby for deployment. Seven ships with humanitarian assistance and disaster relief units are on standby along the western coast. Surveillance aircraft and helicopters are carrying out aerial surveillance along the western coast.

With inputs from agency