Dozens of people have died after Cyclone Gaja hit Tamil Nadu early Friday morning, pounding the state with extreme rainfall, 125kmph cyclonic gusts and widespread flooding, as per the Indian Metereological Department, which declared a Red Alert for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
The state urged residents residing in coastal towns to evacuate immediately and move inland, with 46 reported deaths and several more injuries as of Tuesday.
Roads have caved in, trees uprooted and more than 251,600 people have been evacuated to over 500 relief camps across the state. A warning has been issued to fishermen against pursuing fishing activities until further notice, and the Indian Coast Guard flew over the Bay of Bengal warning fishermen of the cyclone's imminent threat in Tamil. As a result, beaches that are usually crowded, such as Marina Beach in Chennai, were barren. Schools, colleges, and office buildings across the state have been closed, and almost all universities have postponed examinations indefinitely.
Relief centres have been established in particularly affected pockets, with health officials on high alert, while authorities are working with the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board to ensure a safe and effective restoration of electricity.
Cyclone Gaja devastated farmers in agrarian districts of Tamil Nadu, whose paddy crops were damaged due to heavy rain and a build-up of stagnant water and mud in fields. Many landslides were also reported, and numerous flights inbound to Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been cancelled, including the popular route from Sharjah to Trichy.
Karaikkal and Nagapattinam were especially hard-hit, with several Red Cross and other humanitarian aid workers having been deployed to these areas and many more on standby.
Edappadi Palaniswami, the CM of Tamil Nadu, said on Friday that a sum of Rs. 100,000 would be presented to families of the 20 people killed by the cyclone. As the cyclone moves westward towards Kerala, Indian PM Narendra Modi has also pledged full support from the Central Government for a successful rescue and recovery operation.
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