Cyclone Tauktae kills 4 in Karnataka: 73 villages affected, 318 people evacuated so far

Bengaluru: With Cyclone Tauktae wreaking havoc in the coastal and surrounding Malnad districts of Karnataka, four deaths have been reported in the state so far, officials said on Sunday. According to a situation report by Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority officials on Sunday morning, 73 villages, 17 taluks in seven districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan have been affected by the cyclone so far. Among the 73 villages affected, a maximum of 28 are from Udupi district. Among the four deaths reported so far one each are from Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga, officials said. While one fisherman who went to tie his boat died in Uttara Kannada as he got hit by another boat, a person died in Udupi due to electricity mishap, they said, adding that one death was reported in Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga each due to house collapse and lightning respectively. A total of 318 people have been evacuated so far, as per the situation report, and 298 people are currently taking shelter in the 11 relief camps that have been opened. Damages to a total of 112 houses, 139 poles, 22 transformers, four ha of horticulture crops have been reported so far, it added. Meanwhile, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday asked in-charge Ministers of coastal districts and Deputy Commissioners there to visit affected areas and carry out rescue and relief works. Yediyurappa called ministers in charge of coastal districts and Deputy Commissioners and took stock of the situation there, his office said in a statement. The Chief Minister has directed the officials to call the Ministers concerned or him directly if in need of any emergency assistance from the state government, it said. As per the situation report, due to Cyclone Tauktae heavy to extremely heavy rainfall was observed over six districts — three coastal districts (Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada) and three Malnad districts (Shivamogga, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru) — in the past 24 hours. The rainfall was accompanied by gale winds speed reaching 70 to 80 km/hour, gusting at times upto 90 km/per along and off Karnataka coast, it said. Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall was observed over the state mainly over coastal and Malnad districts during last night, it further said, 313 stations recorded more than 64.5 mm (heavy) rainfall in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru districts during 08:30 am on 15 May to 8.30 am on 16 May. The highest rainfall of 385 mm was recorded at Nada Station in Kundapura taluk of Udupi district, and 15 stations recorded more than 200 mm of rainfall in the district. There has been coastal erosion due to rough seas along the coast, roads along the shore have been damaged, the report said, there has also been uprooting of trees due to gale winds and damage to poles and transformers. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned light to moderate rainfall at most places, with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places in the coastal and adjoining ghat districts of the state on Sunday. Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said, around 1,000 trained personnel from fire force, police, coastal police, home guards, SDRF have been deployed in the three coastal districts and they will work with coordination in rescue and relief operations, also NDRF teams have also been roped in. State’s Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Saturday had said that the effect of the cyclone is likely to be there till 18 May and had warned fishermen not to venture into the sea till then.