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Tamil Nadu, Dec. 13 (NIA) – Atleast 12 people were killed when a severe cyclone hit southern India on Monday evening, flattening hundreds of houses, uprooting trees and overturning vehicles, the police said.
Indi’a southern city of Chennai was the worst hit with seven deaths including that of a three year old child.
Some areas recorded rainfall up to 10 cm while strong winds and rains remained throughout Tamil Nadu even on Tuesday as the Cyclone Vardah headed towards Karnataka, in the south western region of India.
The weather forecast for southern India on Tuesday morning said that the worst was over, and light to moderate rainfall in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Villupuram districts would remain in the next 24 hours.
The Time of India said that the cyclone which tore into Chennai by Monday evening brought down hundreds of trees. One half of most arterial roads were blocked with fallen trees, forcing two-way traffic to be diverted to the other half.
Several houses were destroyed, especially in coastal parts like Kottivakkam, Palavakkam, Foreshore Estate and Royapuram. Several incidents of wall collapse were reported across the city.
Most parts of the city also suffered power cuts after electrical poles and cables were damaged.
Though the Chennai International airport was re-opened for traffic on Tuesday, the Tamil Nadu government ordered all educational institutions be kept shut for the second day in Chennai, Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts.
“All government, government-aided, private schools, colleges and other educational institutions in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts will remain closed on December 13,” an official release said.
“After 1994, this is the first very severe cyclonic storm to hit Chennai coast,” the PTI reported, quoting a senior Met. Department official as saying in Chennai.
A government spokesperson in New Delhi said that six teams of the central and state disaster response forces were engaged in rescue efforts.
Pic Courtesy – NDTV
