Cyclone Tauktae: 2 dead, houses damaged due to winds triggered by storm in Goa

New Delhi, May 16: Two persons died in Goa on Sunday in separate incidents caused due to gusty winds triggered by cyclone Tauktae, which also damaged hundreds of houses and blocked some highways in parts of the state as trees fell at several points, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said.

The major impact of the cyclonic winds was felt in Bardez taluka in North Goa district and Mormugao in South Goa, he said.

Gusty winds and heavy rains lashed several parts of the state on Sunday due to the cyclonic storm, uprooting electricity poles and affecting power supply in many parts of the coastal state, officials said.

The chief minister said there was power disruption for some time at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment. It could have affected the oxygen supply there, but an oxygen tank installed there on Saturday averted a major tragedy as it ensured uninterrupted supply of the life-saving gas at the facility.

"Two persons died in the state due to cyclonic winds on Sunday. One of them is a girl in North Goa, who had gone to fetch water from a well. She died after getting crushed under a tree that fell due to strong winds," Sawant told reporters.

In the second incident that occurred in South Goa, a man riding a two-wheeler died after an electricity pole fell on him, he said.

The cyclonic winds caused major power disruption in the state since Saturday night, but the electricity department personnel are working round the clock to ensure that the power supply is restored, he added.

"Hundreds of houses suffered major damage due to the cyclonic winds. Some highways were blocked at several points after trees got uprooted. However, the roads were cleared by the disaster management teams," Sawant said.

Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant and took stock of the preparedness for cyclone Tauktae in the coastal state, officials said.

Shah took stock of the situation, availability of resources and deployment of central and state government agencies, they said.

The home minister had also reviewed the cyclone preparedness of Gujarat, Maharashtra and two Union territories on Sunday and "specifically" stressed that all health facilities, including those for COVID-19 treatment, falling in the affected areas should be secured along with the patients.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said Cyclone Tauktae has intensified into a "very severe cyclonic storm" and is approaching the Gujarat coast. The IMD has also issued a yellow alert for the coasts of Gujarat and Diu and Daman.

According to the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD, by May 18, the wind speed is expected to increase to 150-160 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 175 kmph.