Sunday, 01 January 2012 12:18 Mizzima News
(Mizzima) – Cyclone Thane, which swept through the Tamil Nadu coast in India on Friday morning, rose to 46 on Saturday. In the worst affected Cuddalore district, people greeted the New Year in darkness, The Times of India reported.
Expressing her deep grief and condolences to the members of the bereaved families, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said she had ordered release of Rs.200,000 each to the families.
Apart from the 35 deaths in Tamil Nadu, four deaths were reported in Kerala and seven in Puducherry mainly due to electrocution, falling of trees and collapse of roofs or walls.
CNN reported Saturday that some 7,000 people were in emergency shelters set up in school buildings, community halls and 20 cyclone centers in the Cuddalore area.
Cyclone Thane hit the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry Friday morning but turned southward after landfall, severely affecting Cuddalore.
As of early Saturday, the storm had weakened to a low-pressure area over north Kerala state and parts of neighboring states, the Indian Meteorological Department said.
The weather system will bring heavy rainfall to Kerala, as well as parts of southern Karnataka and northern Tamil Nadu, forecasters said.
Meanwhile, life was limping back to normalcy in Cuddalore, the newspaper reported.
"Major roads are being cleared of uprooted trees and traffic has resumed. People are returning to their homes or going to the homes of their relatives from relief camps. Life is coming back to normalcy," Cuddalore Deputy Superintendent of Police S. Vanitha said.
The newspaper said 50 percent power supply is expected to be restored Sunday and water is supplied to the people in tankers.
Officials said it would take at least two days more to restore power supply in the district as most of the electric poles have been uprooted by the cyclonic wind.
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