Cyclone plays havoc across Maharashtra; 7 hurt in Mumbai

MUMBAI: One person was killed in Maharashtra’s Raigad district and at least 7 others injured in Mumbai as Cyclone Nisarga wreaked havoc after a thumping wet landfall at ShriwardhanDive Agar in Raigad on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

Raigad Collector Nidhi Choudhari said a man was killed in Umte village when he was hit by an electric pole uprooted by the force of the gales lashing the region.

As per the latest India Meteorological Department bulletin, the cyclone which was expected to move towards Mumbai-thane-palghar, has apparently veered off to the east and moving towards Pune.

“Nisarga lay centred over coastal Maharashtra, close to east-southeast of Alibaug, 75 kms south-east of Mumbai (Colaba) and 65 kms west of Pune. Current intensity (near centre) 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph,” said the IMD.

From the changed direction, the cyclone is likely to head towards Nashik, Jalgaon and then onto Madhya Pradesh, officials said, even as Nisarga seemed to have missed Mumbai by a whisker.

However, Raigad and Mumbai suffered collateral damage as the cyclone whirled past at speeds of over 100 kmph.

In Mumbai, three persons sustained minor injuries when some construction stones fell on the tin roof of their slum in Santacruz, and four others were injured when pieces of a roof crashed on them in Walkeshwar.

There were around 196 incidents of trees or branch crashes and at least two taxis getting crushed under them, 9 incidents of minor house or wall crashes and and 29 incidents of shortcircuits all over the city, but no fatalities, said the Disaster Control of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation ( BMC).

The BMC shifted around 18,890 people from risk-prone coastal areas to 35 temporary shelters, while Raigad authorities had moved around 13,000 to safety from the Nisarga fury, with similar action taken in Thane and Palghar for over 200 persons.

Raigad also witnessed scores of uprooted trees, including coconut and palm plantations, a large number of electric poles or power lines getting knocked down and scores of roofs blowing away from homes as people remained crouched indoors.

Several hours before Nisarga’s landfall, heavy rains or showers soaked the entire coastal region - Palghar, Thane, Mumbai, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg - accompanied by strong gales of upto 60-70 kmph since Tuesday evening, which intensified by Wednesday morning. Mumbai recorded upto 7 cms average rainfall.