New Delhi, November 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured all possible assistance from the Central government to the people of Tamil Nadu after Cyclone Gaja caused a havoc in the state. Reports inform that nearly 20 people have been killed and as many as 81,948 people evacuated in vulnerable areas and housed in 471 relief centres. The Prime Minister took to micro-blogging site Twitter and expressed grief over the loss of lives in the cyclone and offered prayers for the injured.

He said he spoke to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru Edappadi K. Palaniswami regarding the situation arising due to cyclone conditions in the state. The Prime Minister assured all possible help from the Centre and prayed for the safety and well-being of the people of Tamil Nadu. Cyclone Gaja Kills 20, Houses and Electric Poles Damaged, Nagapattinam Worst Hit; Check Weather Forecast Till November 17. 

The cyclonic storm left a trail of destruction in the coastal districts, with Nagapattinam being the worst hit. "My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives due to cyclonic conditions in parts of Tamil Nadu. I pray for the quick recovery of those injured. Officials are working towards providing all possible assistance in the wake of the cyclone", Modi tweeted. Cyclone Gaja: Home Minister Rajnath Singh Assures Central Help To Tamil Nadu Government.

The Indian Metrological Department (IMD) on Friday said that the Cyclonic Storm ‘GAJA’ over interior Tamilnadu moved nearly westwards, weakened into a Deep Depression and lay centred at 1130 hrs IST on Friday, the 16th November, 2018 over interior Tamilnadu near latitude 10.5°N and longitude 77.6°E, about 80 km northwest of Madurai.”

Reports informed that the 75-ft tall stone statue of Jesus erected in front of the 'Morning Star Church' in the town, sustained structural damage. The cyclone, which made a landfall in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Friday uprooted trees and damaged houses in Thiruvarur’s Kokaladi village. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Palaniswami, expressed grief over the deaths and sanctioned a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of those who died and Rs 25,000-Rs one lakh for the injured.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 16, 2018 10:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).