Lakshadweep gets heavy rain, strong winds as cyclone Maha hits coast

Kalpeni Island in Lakshadweep witnessed rough seas and heavy rains accompanied by gusty wind due to cyclone Maha on Thursday.

The winds brought down several trees and caused a lot of damage. Water also entered residential areas. People living near coastal areas were shifted to safe places.

"All officials of Mithra camp are here and all arrangements have made. People in coastal areas have been shifted to multipurpose halls and government quarters. We came to know that Maha cyclone will reach Mithra coast around 3 to 4 am today", said an official of Mithra camp.

Indian Navy is coordinating with the Lakshadweep administration to ensure the safety of men and material.

Indian Coast Guard has deployed six ships and two aircraft tasked for damage assessment and for locating stranded fishing boats at sea while disaster response teams are on standby for rescue and relief operations.

Cyclone Maha may intensify into a severe cyclone over the Lakshadweep area and into a very severe cyclone over the East-Central Arabian Sea by Friday and Saturday.