COVID-19 patients were evacuated from Mumbai due to the threat of a cyclone that is threatening the area. These patients were among more than 100,000 evacuated from low-lying coastal areas in India’s western states. The cyclone is advancing towards Mumbai, named cyclone Nisarga, and hit landfall around 1 p.m. local time with high-speed winds of 68 mph.
The cyclone formed in the Arabian sea on Tuesday morning, causing subsequent evacuation. Cyclones in this western region are relatively rare. Mumbai is India’s financial epicenter and has roughly 18 million residents, last experiencing a major storm in 1948. The arrival of the cyclone comes amid the worst COVID-19 outbreak as hospitals deal with an influx of patients.
Read More: Coronavirus patients evacuated ahead of worst storm to hit Mumbai in 70 years
