A deep depression in the Bay of Bengal intensified into cyclone Ockhi in the Comorin area, about 70 km south of Kanyakumari on Thursday morning, said Director, Regional Meteorological Centre, S Balachandran told reporters.
Four persons were killed when heavy spells of rain accompanied by squally winds lashed Kanyakumari district in Southern Tamil Nadu under the influence of cyclonic storm Ockhi on Thursday.
A deep depression in the Bay of Bengal intensified into cyclone Ockhi in the Comorin area, about 70 km south of Kanyakumari on Thursday morning, said Director, Regional Meteorological Centre, S Balachandran told reporters.
The storm is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and to move west-northwestwards towards Lakshadweep Island in the next 24 hours, he said, adding the cyclone is expected to have a wind speed of 65-75 km per hour and that the sea will be rough.
With several trees uprooted by the squally winds, the normal life in Kanyakumari district came to a halt. The power supply has been disrupted in most parts of the district with snapping of the electricity cables by the uprooted trees. A couple of trains, originating and passing through this district suffered partial to full cancellation, even as some of them were rescheduled, Southern Railway officials said. Local administration employed personnel to remove uprooted trees even as the movement of vehicular traffic was affected.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami assured all assistance to the cyclone-affected people at the earliest. "The state government is taking all the measures to ensure relief reaches the affected people as soon as possible. People need not worry as the ministers and seniors officials are deputed to oversee the relief works," he said in a statement. He also noted that to carry out the relief works on the war footing, two teams of National Disaster Response Force comprising 60 members each and a team of State Disaster Response Force comprising 70 members have been rushed to the district.
Superintendent of police of Kanyakumari district M Durai said all the four persons including a woman was killed by uprooted trees in different parts of the district.
People living in low-lying areas have been shifted to temporary shelters. The Collector has asked residents to stay indoors and also requested fishermen not to venture into the sea.
Sajjan Singh R Chavan, Kanyakumari Collector, said that people from low-lying areas have been shifted to shelters. He also dismissed rumours on tsunami. "Because of the cyclone, the wave height has been higher. We have already clarified that there is no chance of tsunami as some rumours doing the rounds suggested. We have already told fishermen not to venture into the sea. We have evacuated people from low-lying areas into shelters and also asked people not to leave their homes," he said.
Tsunami rumours
After rumours of cyclone triggering tsunami started doing the round, Kanyakumari Collector SSR Chavan clarified that though the wave length is higher, there is no chance of any tsunami.
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 "Cyclone Ockhi-Kanyakumari-PTI")
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