Hurricane Gaja kills 33 people in India and thousands of people are in relief camps

NEW DELHI – The number of casualties from a cyclone that hit the south coast of India rose to 33. The Indian Navy has assigned two ships and a helicopter to the relief work.

State authorities transported drinking water, food and paramedics to nearly 82,000 people who fled to more than 400 state-run camps. They were evacuated from areas located on the Hurricane Gaja crossing, which struck Friday six districts of Tamil Nadu State with heavy rains and winds reaching 90 km / h.

Edappadi Palaniswami, the state's highest elected official, said aid workers had found 13 bodies Friday and another 20 Saturday. Most deaths were caused by floods, house collapses and electrocution. He said the cyclone had uprooted 30,000 power poles and more than 100,000 trees.