Cyclone Fengal Disrupts Life in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry

Cyclone Fengal battered northern Tamil Nadu and Puducherry with heavy rains and gusty winds, causing flooding and the shutdown of Chennai airport. Though there was no major damage, public transport halted, hospitals were inundated, and flights canceled, affecting thousands. Relief efforts are underway.

Cyclone Fengal wreaked havoc across northern Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Saturday, bringing heavy rains and high winds that forced the closure of Chennai airport and flooded large parts of the city.

Despite the chaos, there have been no reports of major damage, according to Tamil Nadu's Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KKSSR Ramachandran. However, the storm severely disrupted public transport, affecting buses, trains, and flights, and caused localized flooding in some regions, with officials moving people from vulnerable areas to safety.

Airport operations were suspended until Sunday after two runways and a taxiway were inundated. Some 55 flights were canceled and 19 diverted, stranding over 10,000 passengers. Meanwhile, relief efforts were launched, with 18 disaster relief teams deployed and food and other essentials distributed to affected residents.

(With inputs from agencies.)