A deadly cyclone made landfall on India's west coast Monday, further exacerbating the country's crisis battling the coronavirus pandemic.
Cyclone Tauktae prompted mass evacuations and the halting of vaccination campaigns in the western state of Gujarat, where it made landfall with sustained winds of up to 165 kilometers per hour, according to the country's meteorological department.
The storm killed over a dozen people even before it made landfall. Local media report that it is the worst cyclone to hit the area in 30 years.
Indian media reported that at least six people were killed in the state of Maharashtra, home to the country's financial hub, Mumbai.
Thousands of rescue ships and aircraft were deployed as fishing boats along the coast came back to shore. But lockdowns throughout the country, in place to quell the spread of the coronavirus, may delay some rescue operations.
The storm is expected to further delay India's embattled response to the virus, with the weather forcing some hospitals to relocate patients and some vaccination drives to be canceled.
"This cyclone is a terrible double blow for millions of people in India whose families have been struck down by record COVID infections and deaths. Many families are barely staying afloat," said Udaya Regmi, South Asia head of delegation, International Federation of Red Cross.
