At least eight people died due to the storm in India, while Cyclone Michaung approaches the east coast of the country, which is expected to hit the state of Andhra Pradesh in the coming hours, police sources reported this Tuesday.
The eight victims recorded in the city of Chennai include the death of a 50-year-old man due to electrocution. The other deaths were caused by falling branches or collapsing structures, Greater Chennai police in Tamil Nadu state said in a statement.
According to the latest bulletin from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the strong cyclonic storm is located about 70 kilometers from the city of Nellore, in the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh, where Michaung is expected to make landfall in the coming days. few hours.
Currently, the cyclone is accompanied by sustained winds of 90 to 100 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 110 kilometers per hour, according to the IMD.
Authorities declared a red alert in several districts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, also evacuating thousands of residents in low-lying areas susceptible to flooding.
Heavy rains on Monday forced the suspension of dozens of flights and the interruption of operations at the Chennai airport, whose runway was completely covered by water, also affecting road traffic in the city and forcing the closure of dozens of metro stations.
Added to this was the cancellation of 60 East Coast Railway trains, the railway company reported on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Cyclones are a common occurrence along the Indian coast. Biparjoy, in June, caused at least two deaths in northwest India, while Tauktae, one of the most violent to hit the western coast of the Asian country in recent years, was responsible for at least 145 deaths in 2021.
Source: TSF
