4 dead, 5 missing as Nilam hits Tamil Nadu, Andhra

Chennai, 31 Oct 2012: Cyclone Nilam crashed into Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday evening, bringing heavy showers and gusty winds but causing far less destruction than many feared, with superstorm Sandy and its aftermath still playing out. One sailor was killed and five were feared dead after a large oil tanker beached off the Chennai coast as the cyclone churned the sea waters. At least three people were killed in Andhra Pradesh where heavy rain and gale lashed the coastal districts.

 

The powerful cyclone made landfall between Mamallapuram (55km from Chennai) and Kalpakkam at 4pm, but preceding the storm, strong winds with speeds of up to 80kmph triggered huge waves and chaos across the city.

 

The captain of the oil tanker, MT Pratibha Cauvery, ordered sailors to abandon ship after the vessel lost anchor and drifted within 50 metres of Besant Nagar beach, where it ran aground at 2.30pm and appeared to be in imminent danger of sinking.

 

A sailor said 22 crew members attempted to head for shore in a lifeboat. The overloaded vessel capsized in the choppy waters. With the Coast Guard nowhere in sight, fishermen attempted to rescue the sailors but could bring only 16 of them ashore. Rescuers recovered the body of one sailor around 7.30pm.

 

Met officials said the cyclone, which started as a low pressure trough more than 10 days ago over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, rapidly dissipated after it crossed the coast and headed northwest towards Andhra Pradesh. The cyclone had been stationary through Tuesday night off the northeastern Sri Lankan coast near Trincomalee, but intensified early Wednesday morning and headed for the Tamil Nadu coast near Chennai.

 

In Chennai, powerful gusts of wind uprooted more than 200 trees and 50 electricity poles, blocking off many localities for several hours as corporation staff and policemen struggled to clear the roads. The electricity board cut power supply in most parts of Chennai for up to eight hours as a precaution. Schools and colleges in Chennai, which have been closed since Monday, will not reopen till Friday.

 

Before the storm made landfall, authorities evacuated nearly 4,000 people in Mamallapuram and moved them to relief centres. Government offices and many private organizations closed at 3pm to reduce traffic congestion.

 

The cyclone brought little rain to the city, which recorded only 4mm rainfall through Wednesday, though there were showers in the southern districts. "Radar imaging shows little clouding over Chennai, but the situation could change at any time," said IMD deputy director-general Y E A Raj.