Cyclone Mandous kills four in Indian State

A cyclonic storm killed at least four people in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Saturday as heavy rain and strong winds buffeted several districts damaging property and causing power outages.

Tamil Nadu’s chief minister, MK Stalin said Cyclone Mandous, which made landfall late Friday night, damaged 185 houses and huts.

According to Stalin, the storm uprooted 400 trees in the state capital Chennai, a hub for automakers and technology firms.

Approximately 25,000 people, including disaster relief personnel, were involved in the relief work, and more than 9,000 people were moved to safety in 201 relief camps, Stalin said.

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“We are still assessing damages,” he told reporters, as he visited some of the affected areas.

Mandous had weakened from an earlier severe category as it swept past Sri Lanka, where schools were closed on Friday due to high air pollution levels from the storm.

It was expected to gradually weaken into a low-pressure area, India’s meteorological department tweeted on Saturday.

Voice of America/Felicia Kolo