Chennai:
A crew member of a ship grounded near Chennai has died and another six are missing after Cyclone Nilam. Another 15 crew members are stuck on board. Rescue operations initiated by the Coast Guard have been suspended due to bad weather. The Navy may also use an aircraft early in the morning.
Pratibha Cauvery, an oil tanker, ran aground this afternoon because of the gales that preceded the cyclone's landfall. There were 37 people on board. Some of them climbed into a life boat and headed towards the shore but the boat capsized in choppy waters off the Besant Nagar locality in South Chennai.
(See Pics) Sixteen others who managed to escape are currently being treated at a hospital.
Pratibha Cauvery, along with other ships berthed at the Chennai Port, was yesterday asked to go to the Outer Anchorage (OA) of the port as a precautionary measure before the severe cyclonic storm arrived.
The tanker, anchored about 3.56 nautical miles away from the Port yesterday, drifted and touched the shore near Elliots Beach.
The 26,000-tonne capacity tanker had two tonnes of light diesel and furnace oil when the mishap occurred.
The cyclone crossed Chennai and made landfall at Mahabalipuram, south of the Tamil Nadu capital at about 4.30 pm today, officials said. Rain lashed the region and strong winds uprooted trees in some places. Weather officials said the storm packed winds of up to 100 kilometres (60 miles) per hour as it made landfall near Chennai. Schools and colleges in Chennai have been closed since yesterday and will remain closed tomorrow.
(Cyclone Nilam makes landfall: Latest developments)Before landfall, nearly 4000 people had been evacuated and moved to relief centres around Mahabaliburam.
(With PTI inputs)