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Cyclone makes landfall on India's western coast

18 May 2021
16184
2021-05-18 10:18

A powerful cyclone that emerged in the Arabian Sea made landfall on India's western coast on Monday. Authorities evacuated hundreds of thousands of people and suspended COVID-19 vaccinations in one state. Cyclone Tauktae is the most powerful storm to hit the region in more than two decades and came ashore in Gujarat state with heavy rain, a battering storm surge and sustained winds of up to 165 kilometers per hour, the India Meteorological Department said.

Twelve people were reported dead before the storm hit land and hundreds of thousands were evacuated. The state's capital, Mumbai, was lashed by heavy rain and strong winds and the city’s main airport is suspended. Fishing boats off the coast in both states returned to harbor and thousands of rescue and relief teams, along with ships and aircraft, were deployed for recovery operations.

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