A statue of Jesus Christ that was damaged in Velankanni.
2018,Nov 17: At least 13 persons died and public infrastructure and private properties in seven districts were damaged as Cyclone Gaja wreaked havoc in Tamil Nadu on Friday. The severe cyclonic storm that made a midnight landfall near Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district left a trail of destruction over seven hours with wind speeds as high as 110 kmph.
The cyclonic system also led to the shifting of over 81,000 people in Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram and Tiruchi districts to 471 relief camps, left 28 livestock dead and felled over 5,000 trees and about 13,000 electric poles across the State.
Life was hit severely in these districts as the supply of electricity and essentials was disrupted and transport was affected. But government agencies began relief operations on a war footing to restore normalcy in a few hours.
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami condoled the death of the 13 persons and announced a solatium of ₹10 lakh to each of their families. The CM announced that ₹1 lakh would be granted to those who sustained serious injuries and ₹25,000 for persons with minor injuries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he spoke to the Chief Minister and assured “all possible help from the Centre.”
