12 DEAD AS STORM LEAVES A TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION

BENGALURU/PANAJI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after cyclone Tauktae crossed the coastal areas of Karnataka and Goa, many places in the two states witnessed power and internet connectivity issues on Monday, even as some areas remained inaccessible due to trees blocking highways.

Officials in the disaster management department of the two states said the assessment of the damage caused by the gusty winds of 120140kmph could be done only in a few days.

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant tweeted that PM Narendra Modi has assured assistance to the state in its recovery efforts. “Hon’ble Prime Minster @narendramodi ji personally called to enquire about the impact of cyclone Tauktae on the state of Goa. He has assured all possible assistance from the Central Government.”

In Karnataka, heavy rainfall and gusty winds continued to lash the coastal districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada. Loss of life and property was reported from three districts in the Malnad region -- Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Shivamogga.

Officials said at least six people died due to the cyclone and its impact and 333 homes were damaged. Around 57km of roads have been damaged and 547 people have been evacuated so far, according to data from the state disaster management. Cyclone claimed two lives in Goa and injured three others while causing damage to scores of houses, power and mobile connectivity infrastructure, which the CM said, would take two days to restore.

In Kerala, the first state to see the impact of the cyclone, continued to be battered by high tides and winds even two days after Tauktae moved upwards. Officials said four people died in two days and over 5,000 are still lining in relief camps after their dwellings were damaged. The cyclone comes as a double whammy to the states which continue to reel under the grip of the pandemic that has now started showing signs of a surge in rural areas, including those impacted by the cyclone. The cyclone has thrown life out of gear in these districts, impacting Covid norms, said people familiar with the matter.