Cyclone Tauktae: Seven rain-related deaths in Kerala since May 12, over 5,200 people in relief camps

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said that seven rain-related deaths have been reported in the state since May 12 and 5,235 people are in relief camps due to the impact of cyclone Tauktae.

"As on 3 pm on Monday, there are 5,235 persons from 1,479 families in 175 disaster relief camps across the state that were started in the wake of the cyclone," Vijayan told media personnel here.

Out of 5,235 people in the relief camps, 2,034 are men, 2,191 are women and 1,010 are children. As many as 1,427 people from Ernakulam district are in the camps and 1,180 from Thiruvananthapuram.

He said 310.3 km of roads in local self-government bodies were damaged in the heavy rains along with 34 anganwadis, 10 schools and 11 primary health centres.

He added that 1,464 houses were partially damaged and 68 were completely damaged by the rains across the state.

Earlier in the day, India Meteorological Department said that cyclone Tauktae, which has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm over the east-central Arabian Sea, has moved north-northwestwards with a speed of about 20 kmph and further intensified into an "extremely severe cyclonic storm".

IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra informed that cyclone Tauktae is very likely to cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district around the early morning of May 18.

He further said that heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected to occur in coastal areas of Gujarat on May 18. Some places may experience extremely heavy rainfall.

( With inputs from ANI )

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