Cyclone claims 6 lives in K’taka, 2 in Maha

A TOTAL OF 547 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EVACUATED IN K’TAKA; 2,299 FAMILIES WERE SHIFTED TO SAFER PLACES IN MAHA

BENGALURU/MUMBAI: While six people have lost their lives so far in the coastal and surrounding Malnad districts of Karnataka hit by Cyclone Tauktae, two people died in Maharashtra’s Konkan region in separate incidents, respective state government said on Monday.

According to a situation report by Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority officials, till this morning, 121 villages and 22 taluks have been affected by the cyclone so far.

A total of 547 people have been evacuated till now, it said, 290 people are currently taking shelter in the 13 relief camps that have been opened.

Damages to a total of 333 houses, 644 poles, 147 transformers, 3,004.3 meters of lines, 57 km of road, 57 nets and 104 boats have been reported so far, it said adding that, agriculture crop loss has been estimated in about 30 ha till now and horticulture crop loss is about 2.87 ha. The Met department has forecasted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning with light to moderate spells of rain and gusty winds speed reaching 30-40 kmph is likely to affect Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Belagavi, Haveri, Dharwad, Chamarajanagara, Mysuru, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts.

Officials on Sunday had said, as the cyclone system was moving further north, towards the Maharashtra coast, the impact of cyclone is likely to reduce from Monday over the state. Meanwhile, officials said, all 9 crew stranded on tug ‘Coromandel’ have been rescued. Chief minister B S Yediyurappa has thanked the Indian Navy and Coast Guard for the rescue operation.

Meanwhile, in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, two boats anchored at the Anandwadi harbour drowned, an official statement said, adding that seven sailors were on board the two vessels. A sailor, identified as Rajaram Kadam, from Devgad taluka in the district died in the incident, while three others were missing. The three other sailors were safe, the statement said.

Besides, one person died in a rain-related incident in Raigad district, state minister Aditi Tatkare said in a post on Twitter.

2,299 families (or 8,383 people) were shifted to safer places in view of the cyclone, she said.