Cyclone Nivar claims three lives in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: Three people have died and three others are injured in the wake of Cyclone Nivar in Tamil Nadu, Atulya Mishra, Additional Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu said on Thursday.

Over 2 lakh people are in relief camps in the State. Further, 101 huts have been damaged and 380 fallen trees have been removed.

Chennai witnessed heavy rainfall and strong winds all through Wednesday night before the cyclonic storm moved towards Puducherry.

The IMD said that Cuddalore received 246 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am Wednesday and 2.30 am Thursday while Puducherry received 237 mm, Chennai 89 mm, Karaikal 86 mm, and Nagapatnam 63 mm during the same period.

The Chennai International Airport resumed operations at 9 am on Thursday. Bus services that had been suspended in 13 districts resumed from noon. And while the government had declared Thursday to be a public holiday, many factories resumed work in the afternoon shift if not in the morning.

Parts of Chennai are still experiencing strong winds and some rainfall. Trees were uprooted and in a number of areas the power supply took time to be restored.

Waterlogging was an issue in several pockets of the city. In certain industrial estates that the waterlogging was so severe that factories could not be opened.

Chief Minister of Puducherry V Narayanswamy said there has been no casualty reported so far in the Union Territory. He said almost 2,000 people have been moved to relief camps as many of the roads in the State are inundated.