India Cyclone Death Toll Jumps As Navy Searches For Dozens Missing - UrduPoint

The death toll from a major cyclone that slammed into coronavirus-ravaged India jumped to at least 84 on Wednesday, as the navy searched for 65 people still missing and authorities scrambled to restore power to the worst-hit regions.

Cyclone Tauktae, which pummelled the western coast late Monday and left a trail of destruction, has added to the country's woes as it suffered a record number of Covid-19 deaths.

The cyclonic storm was the latest in what experts say is a growing number of ever-bigger storms in the Arabian Sea because of climate change warming its waters.

The defence ministry said Wednesday that Navy ships had rescued more than 600 people after waves up to eight metres (26 feet) high hammered offshore oil installations.

But 22 bodies were also recovered while planes and helicopters were still searching for 65 workers missing from one of several support vessels that slipped its moorings in the storm and sank.