At least 13 people have died and over 80,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas after severe cyclonic storm Gaja lashed Nagapattinam and Vedaranniyam in Tamil Nadu early Friday morning. CM Palaniswami has announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund for the families of the deceased.
After leaving heavy destruction in TN, Cyclone Gaja has now moved to Kerala. Several landslides, mudslides and severe damages were reported in parts of Idukki where the state's disaster management authority had issued an Orange alert on Thursday.