Cyclone Tauktae: PM Modi conducts aerial survey of damage in Gujarat, Diu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took stock of areas affected by cyclone Tauktae in Gujarat and Diu via an aerial survey, including areas like Una, Diu, Jafarabad, and Mahuva. PM Modi will also hold a review meeting today in Ahmedabad.

The prime minister reached Bhavnagar in Gujarat to review the situation and damage caused by Cyclone Tauktae and was received by Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani at the airport, who informed that PM Modi will conduct an aerial survey of the areas of districts hit by the cyclone.

"He will conduct an aerial survey of the areas of Amreli, Gir Somnath, and Bhavnagar districts hit by Cyclone Tauktae," Rupani tweeted.

Read latest updates on Cyclone Tauktae here

Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to visit Diu today to review damage caused by the cyclone.

"PM Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat on Wednesday to conduct an aerial survey of the areas of Amreli, Gir Somnath and Bhavnagar districts hit by Cyclone Tauktae. The PM will also hold a review meeting with CM Vijay Rupani and top officials of the State later in Ahmedabad", Gujarat CMO as well in a tweet.

PM Modi spoke to senior officials in the state after taking stock of operations by rescue personnel on an ONGC barge, news agency PTI reported.

Due to the violent cyclonic storm, at least 22 personnel on board the accommodation barge P305 that went adrift before sinking in the Arabia Sea off Mumbai coast are dead and 65 are still missing, PTI reported, quoting Navy officials.

So far, 186 of the total 273 people have been rescued by the navy personnel, officials said.

Major property damage has been wrecked by the cyclone Tauktae which made landfall between Diu and Una town of Gir-Somnath on Monday night, officials said.

At least 13 people were killed in the state after the extremely severe cyclonic storm lashed parts of the state, leaving behind a trail of destruction along the coast, uprooting electric poles, trees and damaging thousands of houses and roads.

Termed one of the worst cyclones in Gujarat and an extremely destructive in 20 years, Tauktae spurred heavy rains in many parts from Saurashtra coast to North Gujarat with 46 talukas receiving over 100 mm of downpour, while 12 of them recorded 150 mm to 175 mm of rains.

Also read | Cyclone Tauktae: Indian Navy recovers 14 bodies from Arabian Sea so far

Characterised as an extremely severe cyclonic storm on Monday, Tauktae has now weakened into a depression and centred over south Rajasthan and adjoining Gujarat region on Wednesday morning, the India Meteorological Department said.

Chief minister Rupani said that the severe storm damaged more than 16,000 houses and over 40,000 trees in the state. Close to 6,000 villages faced total power outage due to the storm, the CM said.