Cyclone Hits India... 24 Dead and Over 90 Missing

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] India, already struggling with the massive spread of COVID-19, was hit by a large cyclone, resulting in more than 24 deaths and about 90 people missing due to the sinking of barges, compounding the disaster.

Local media and foreign news agencies reported on the 18th that several barges drifted off the western coast of India, where Cyclone Tauktae struck, leaving about 90 passengers missing.

According to reports, the barges began drifting the previous day near offshore oil fields close to Mumbai in the west.

Among them, the P305, carrying 273 people, sank, and another barge, GAL Constructor, with 137 people on board, continued drifting, local media reported. A barge refers to a flat-bottomed boat used to transport cargo.

Authorities deployed three naval vessels and helicopters to conduct rescue operations.

The navy announced that by the afternoon of the same day, they had rescued 177 passengers from the P305. However, 96 people remain missing, and search efforts are ongoing.

Rescue operations are also continuing for other drifting vessels such as the GAL Constructor, including the deployment of salvage ships. However, the local sea weather is very unfavorable, making the operations difficult.

Tauktae is an extremely powerful cyclone with maximum wind speeds reaching 190 to 210 km/h. It made landfall in western Gujarat the previous night, and its strength has since significantly weakened.

The meteorological authorities downgraded Tauktae’s classification from "extremely severe" to "very severe" on the morning of the 18th.

Originating in the Arabian Sea, a part of the Indian Ocean, Tauktae moved northward along India’s western coast, causing extensive damage to coastal areas over several days.

AFP cited rescue authorities reporting that more than 24 people died due to dam collapses and other incidents. COVID-19 patients who could not evacuate to safe hospitals also lost their lives.

In Gujarat alone, 200,000 residents were evacuated, and about 16,500 homes were damaged. Over 40,000 trees were uprooted, and more than 2,400 villages experienced power outages.

Local media reported that this is the first time since the 1998 cyclone, which claimed about 4,000 lives, that such a powerful cyclone has made landfall in Gujarat.

The previous day, in Mumbai, India’s largest economic city, flights were temporarily suspended, and the urban railway network was flooded.

This disaster struck India, which has been facing severe difficulties due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases. Vaccination efforts were also halted in several areas due to Tauktae.

Udaya Regmi, head of the South Asia branch of the Red Cross, told major foreign media, "This cyclone has dealt a double severe blow to millions of families already devastated by COVID-19."