Cyclone Mandous weakens into deep depression; 4 killed in rain-related incidents, says Tamil Nadu CM
Chennai (PTI): Cyclonic storm Mandous, which crossed the coast at Mamallapuram near here, has weakened into a deep depression but the weather system impacted the city and its neighbourhoods, uprooting a number of trees.
Around 400 trees fell in the city under the impact of 70 kmph wind speed when the weather system crossed the coast in the intervening night of December 9 and 10, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said.
Four persons were killed, he said without elaborating.
Civic agencies, including the Greater Chennai Corporation here, were involved in removing the fallen trees.
"The cyclonic storm Mandous (meaning treasure box) weakened into a deep depression over north Tamil Nadu coast. To move nearly west-northwestwards and gradually weaken into a depression by noon of 10th December," the IMD Chennai said in a tweet in the early hours of Saturday.
Stalin, who reviewed the situation at Kasimedu area, told reporters that the government anticipated the situation and put in all preventive measures and could therefore prevent major damage.
"With advanced planning, this government proved any disaster can be managed," he said.
Around 400 trees fell due to the impact of the high wind speed. Many trees had fallen on electric poles but the clearing work was on in full swing, he said. Around 25,000 civic workers were involved in various activities.
There was no waterlogging in the 22 subways in the city and vehicular traffic was smooth.
Rescue work was being expedited in the neighbouring districts of Chengalpet, Kancheepuram and Villupuram.
With the cyclone causing damage to electric poles and transformers, power had been suspended in 600 places and it has been set right in 300 of them. The rest of the work will be over by evening, Stalin said.
Estimation of the loss was being done and if required Central assistance will be sought, the Chief Minister added.
Earlier, state Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K K S S R Ramachandran said over 9,000 people have been lodged in 205 relief centres.
Between 6 am on Friday and 6 am today, 30 domestic and international flights were cancelled as airport operations were affected due to the cyclone.
The airport runway was briefly closed in the early hours today.
Besides, nine outbound flights were cancelled while 21 incoming airplanes were diverted to other cities today.
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MP boat tragedy: Death toll rises to 10 with recovery of one more body; 3 tourists still missing
Jabalpur (PTI): The body of a child was retrieved on Saturday evening from Bargi Dam in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh, raising the death toll in the cruise boat tragedy that took place two days ago to ten, while search continued for three missing tourists.
The boat, operated by the state tourism department, capsized during a storm on Thursday evening with some of the survivors alleging negligence and safety lapses such as life jackets not being distributed in time.
The body recovered on Saturday evening was possibly that of six-year-old Viraj Soni, said Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Anjul Ayank Mishra.
"The identity will be confirmed after family members identify the body," he told PTI.
Kamraj, an employee of the Ordnance Factory at Khamaria, his five-year-old son Tamil, and another child Mayuram (5) who had come from southern India were still missing.
Authorities have arranged equipment to search deep waters of the dam and are getting a generator to facilitate diving operations, Mishra added.
Divers and disaster response teams have expanded the search radius to five km, he said.
Of the 41 identified passengers on board the ill-fated vessel, 28 were rescued, police said.
More than 200 rescuers, including around 20 Army divers airlifted from Agra, joined the search operation that resumed at 5 on Saturday morning. The operation, involving the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and local divers, was briefly affected at around 9 am due to strong winds, officials said.
Post-mortem examinations of nine deceased persons have been completed, Mishra said.
"Our priority is to search for the missing persons. We will also register a First Information Report in the case soon," he said.
Police said CCTV footage near the boarding point showed 43 people heading towards the boat while the identities of 41 passengers have been confirmed so far.
The state government on Friday ordered a probe into the tragedy and dismissed three crew members. It also banned operation of similar vessels in the state.
