8 killed with the cyclone Taukate moving through coast, Malnad

A minimum of eight people lost their lives in Karnataka when the cyclone Taukate hit the coastal and Malnad districts with heavy rainfall and gusty winds on Sunday.

The state government had deployed 1,000 personnel for rescue and relief operations in the district as the cyclonic storm led to a destruction, damaging houses, public property, uprooting of the trees.

On Sunday evening, the State Disaster Management Authority released the official death count of 4, and 4 to be added to the ‘Alliance’ crew. Besides, an old woman and her grandchild succumbed to the collapse of a house wall due to severe rainfall at Itagi in Belagavi district.

The tugboat alliance was in contract with the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) to assist over offloading crude from Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC).

Manoj Rajan, Commissioner of SDMA, quoting the survivors stated the few crew members were kept at the boat bunker before it capsized. With the waves increasing to six metres and wind speed above 25 knots, the ICG and CSP had come to rescue. Coastal Security Police SP R Chethan told DH, “ ICG’s vessel INS Varaha is just 500 metres away from Mulki Rocks and is closely monitoring the situation.”

According to sources, the Coromondel’s contract formalized with New Mangalore Port Trust (NPMT) had been terminated six months ago. The sources further added that post the rescue operations, the NPMT will present a report on the reason the tug was anchored at port and not taken to safe places with the cyclone warning.

As per IMDB, heavy rainfall has been predicted for several parts of the state though the intensity of cyclone Tauktae will subside with movement towards Gujarat coast.

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