Tens of thousands of people were evacuated Tuesday in low-lying areas of two Indian states and moved to cyclone shelters to escape a powerful storm barreling toward the eastern coast.
The India Meteorological Department said Cyclone Yaas is set to turn into a very severe cyclonic storm with sustained wind speeds of up to 177 kilometers per hour.
The cyclone coming amid a devastating coronavirus surge complicates India’s efforts to deal with both just 10 days after Cyclone Tauktae hit India’s west coast and killed more than 140 people.
The cyclone is expected to make landfall early Wednesday in Odisha and West Bengal states.
S.N. Pradhan, director of India’s National Disaster Response Force said thousands of emergency personnel have been moved to coastal regions of the two states for evacuation and any possible rescue operations.
In West Bengal, authorities were scrambling to move tens of thousands of people to cyclone shelters. Officials said at least 20 districts in the state will feel the brunt of the storm.
Last May, nearly 100 people died in Cyclone Amphan, the most powerful storm in more than a decade to hit eastern India, including West Bengal state.
In a televised address Monday, the state’s chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, appealed to people being moved to cyclone shelters to wear double masks and maintain social distancing. He asked authorities to distribute masks to the evacuated people.
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