Cyclone Murasu hits India’s eastern coast, uprooting trees
Storm makes landfall in Andhra Pradesh
Cyclone Murasu struck India’s eastern coast early Tuesday, lashing Andhra Pradesh with heavy rain and strong winds. The severe cyclonic storm came ashore near Ongole in Prakasam district around 1am local time, according to the India Meteorological Department. It’s the second cyclone to hit the region in a week, following Cyclone Arnab.
No casualties have been reported so far. But the storm uprooted trees, toppled electricity poles, and flooded low-lying areas. Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, told Reuters that some trees and power poles were down. The Press Trust of India reported extensive damage in Prakasam and Bapatla districts, with thousands of trees felled, hundreds of power poles damaged, and fishing boats wrecked. Standing crops were hit and many areas were underwater.
Authorities began evacuations on Monday, planning to move about 30,000 people to safety. Krishnamma, a fisherman from Kothapatnam, called it “the most dangerous cyclone we have witnessed in the last 14 years.” He said about 400 families from his village left before the storm hit. Home Minister Amit Shah said on X that he spoke with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and assured him the central government will provide all assistance. National and state disaster response teams are already on the ground. The IMD has forecast more heavy rain across several districts through the day.
