Cyclone Arnab has caused at least ₹4,600 crore in losses in Andhra Pradesh, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Thursday, as the state assessed the damage from the storm that killed seven people. Naidu said 8,000 electric poles were uprooted in Konaseema and promised compensation to affected farmers and families. A central team is expected to visit the state on Friday.
In neighbouring Odisha, chief secretary Anu Garg said, around 300 villages in Ganjam district have been marooned by heavy rain and flash floods, prompting the government to coordinate with the Union home ministry for air evacuations. The state plans to airlift 120 people in the first phase, though continued rain and low cloud cover could delay operations. Rescue teams from the NDRF and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force are deployed in affected areas.
Also read: As Cyclone Arnab loses steam, second system intensifies into low-pressure area over Bay of Bengal
Deep Dive
How much damage did Cyclone Arnab cause in Andhra Pradesh?
How many people were stranded in Ganjam, and who was Odisha planning to airlift?
Could the new low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal become another cyclone?
In Bengal, rain and squally winds continued as Arnab weakened into a depression over south Chhattisgarh and adjoining south Odisha. Meanwhile, a second system has formed over the Bay of Bengal and has already intensified into a low-pressure, officials of the India Meteorological Department said. Officials are, however, yet to forecast whether the system would intensify into a cyclone.
Coast guard rescues 20 crew in Philippine vessel
{{/usCountry}}In Bengal, rain and squally winds continued as Arnab weakened into a depression over south Chhattisgarh and adjoining south Odisha. Meanwhile, a second system has formed over the Bay of Bengal and has already intensified into a low-pressure, officials of the India Meteorological Department said. Officials are, however, yet to forecast whether the system would intensify into a cyclone.
Coast guard rescues 20 crew in Philippine vessel
{{/usCountry}}The Indian Coast Guard on Thursday evening rescued all 20 crew members of the Philippine cargo vessel Sigma Pearl after it was stranded in the Bay of Bengal off the Andhra Pradesh coast amid adverse weather caused by Cyclone Arnab on Wednesday, an official statement said.
(With inputs from PTI)