Cyclone Tauktae: Death toll in Gujarat goes up to 53

Ahmedabad, May 20: As many as 53 people have lost their lives in incidents related to cyclone Tauktae in different parts of Gujarat, officials said on Thursday.

Most of the casualties were due to incidents of wall collapse due to the cyclone, which made a landfall on Monday night near Una town in Gir-Somnath and wreaked havoc for around 28 hours before it weakened into a depression, an official from the State Emergency Operations Centre said.

"As per the latest available information, as many as 53 people have lost their lives in various cyclone-related incidents across Gujarat," state relief commissioner Harshad Kumar Patel said.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey of cyclone-affected districts of Gujarat and announced a package of Rs 1,000 crore to carry out "immediate relief activities".

Later, the Gujarat government approved a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the kin of those who have died due to various incidents related to cyclone Tauktae.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had also announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 for those who were injured due to the cyclonic storm.

This compensation is in addition to the central government''s compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured persons, said a government release.