Cyclone Tauktae: Two killed as ferocious winds, heavy rain hit Goa

Stormy winds and heavy rains caused by Cyclone Tauktae claimed two lives and uprooted more than 1,000 trees in Goa, disrupting normal life and road traffic and causing power outage in most parts of the coastal state on Sunday.

"Two people lost their lives because of the cyclone. A woman of around 30-35 years died after a coconut tree fell on her at Mapusa town (in North Goa). Another accident occurred at Marcel where two youth were going on a scooter and an electric pole fell on them and one of them lost his life while he was being rushed to hospital," Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told a press conference.

He said that all roads faced blockages due to debris and uprooted trees.

"In Bardez, the worst-affected sub-district in North Goa, 31 houses were damaged while in South Goa, Mormugao was the worst affected sub-district where 36 houses were damaged," Sawant said.

Power Minister Nilesh Cabral said that feeder electrical lines from other states have been damaged in the state, which has resulted in a severe power outage.

"We are still in the process of assessing the damage caused to electricity poles which have been uprooted across Goa," he said.

Konkan Railway said that rail traffic was affected by the cyclonic winds and rain with uprooted trees blocking the railway track in at least five places in the state.

"No injuries or casualties have been reported. The traffic on the Konkan Railway route is running smoothly," it said in a statement.

The Goa branch of the Indian Meteorological Department has predicted that the severe cyclonic storm will last till May 17 with wind speeds in the range of 100 to 175 km per hour.

--IANS

maya/vd