Ahmedabad, May 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook an aerial survey of affected areas in Gujarat and adjoining Union territory of Diu to assess the devastation caused by Cyclone Tauktae. PM Modi was in Gujarat to review the situation in the state in the aftermath of cyclone Tauktae and announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia to the deceased.
Meanwhile, the NCP asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not visiting areas of Maharashtra hit by cyclonic storm Tauktae, even as he wa sconducting an aerial survey of some of the cyclone-affected parts of neighbouring Gujarat and Diu. Is this not "clear-cut discrimination"? Maharashtra minister and NCP's national spokesperson Nawab Malik wondered.
Before making a landfall in Gujarat late Monday night, the cyclone had claimed seven lives and caused damages in parts of Maharashtra, particularly in its coastal areas. "Today PM Modi ji is taking an ariel survey of #CycloneTauktae affected areas of Daman, Diu and Gujarat. Why not the same of the areas affected in #Maharashtra ? Is this not clear cut discrimination?" Malik tweeted.
As many as 45 people have been killed due to cyclone Tauktae across 12 districts of Gujarat, officials said today. Fifteen deaths were reported from Amreli district in Saurashtra region, the worst affected in the cyclone that crossed the state coast as an extremely severe cyclonic storm on Monday night and completed landfall around 1.30 am yesterday, officials said.
Eight people each were killed in Bhavnagar and Gir Somnath coastal districts, an official of the State Emergency Operation Centre said. Five were killed in Ahmedabad, two in Kheda, and one each in Anand, Vadodara, Surat, Valsad, Rajkot, Navsari and Panchmahal districts, the official said. While 24 deaths were due to wall collapses during the cyclone, six died after trees fell on them, five each because of house collapse and electrocution, four due to roof collapse and one died due to a tower collapse, the official said.
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