Vardah claimed 24 lives in TN: Government

Exactly one week after the cyclone "Vardah", that ravaged the northern districts of the State, Tamil Nadu government on Monday said that the death toll due to storm has rose to 24.

Revenue Minister R B Udhayakumar, who reviewed the damages caused by the clone at a meeting here, told reporters that a total of 24 people have died so far due to cyclone-related incidents in the state.

He said due to various precautionary measures taken by the government in the three districts of Chennai, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur, which bore the brunt of the cyclone fury, the death toll was very minimal.

According to him, more than 70,000 huts in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts were fully damaged during the storm and along with heavy rains. He said due to the government's precautionary measures, the death toll was less.

The Minister said since the wind speed was quite heavy, power transmission grids have collapsed and thousands of electric poles flattened at several places, it took some time to install them.

He said power supply was restored in most of the cyclone-hit areas in the last one week.