Cyclone Ditwah Hits Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram, Rameswaram Island Isolated
Cyclone lashes Tamil Nadu coast, trains halted, 40 evacuated.
Cyclone Ditwah battered Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district on Friday with gale-force winds reaching 70 kmph and relentless high tides, bringing coastal life to a standstill and isolating the pilgrimage island of Rameswaram. Rough seas pounded fishing harbours while surging waves eroded beaches and dragged anchored boats into deeper waters.
Southern Railway suspended all train services across the iconic Pamban sea bridge after wind speeds crossed safe operational limits. Trains from Chennai, Madurai and Kanyakumari were terminated at Mandapam station, with passengers ferried onward by state buses. Services originating from Rameswaram will also start and end at Mandapam until wind velocity drops and engineers certify the century-old cantilever bridge safe for resumption.
In Rameswaram and surrounding areas, heavy rainfall averaging 2 cm compounded the chaos. At Rameswaram harbour, a mechanised boat broke its mooring and washed ashore at Serankottai, while several country craft were swept away by coastal erosion. Fishermen worked through driving rain to secure their vessels and protect valuable equipment from the storm’s fury.
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District Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon personally monitored vulnerable hamlets and ordered the immediate evacuation of around 40 residents from the exposed fishing settlement at Dhanushkodi. The families were shifted to a government school in Rameswaram serving as a relief camp. Authorities placed additional teams on standby across coastal villages, ready to move more residents if sea surges intensify overnight.
Tourist access to the scenic Dhanushkodi tip has been completely barred, with police barricades on Pudu Road turning away vehicles. Officials warned that the restriction would continue until the cyclone passes and damage assessments are completed. As Ditwah moves closer to landfall, Ramanathapuram remains on high alert with emergency services mobilised for rapid response.
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