About 2000 Sabarimala devotees stranded at Chengannur Station due to Cyclone Michaung, train cancellations
The Indian Railways cancelled several trains in the wake of Cyclone Michaung. However, this has put Sabarimala Ayyappa devotees in trouble and they about 2000 devotees are stranded at Chengannur railway station.
FollowPathanamthitta: Sabarimala pilgrims from various states were stranded as several train services were canceled due to Cyclone Michaung. Around 2000 Ayyappa devotees were stuck at Chengannur railway station, the gateway to Sabarimala.
Several trains have been canceled by the Indian Railways due to cyclone Michaung. There is no certainty as to when the services will resume as heavy rains continue, including in Chennai. Due to this, Sabarimala pilgrims from neighbouring states were also trapped. The Chengannur railway station and its surroundings are full of pilgrims who have come down the hill after darshan. The pilgrims' rest area at the station was reportedly overcrowded.
The number of days that this can go on is another concern for the officials. A large number of people lack enough money to survive. How to move forward if one has to stay longer is still unclear. Authorities have announced the cancellation of thirty-five long-distance services. Many consider using alternative methods to get to their native. Yet many devotees abandoned their intentions because of the expense and duration of buses and parallel vehicles.
Cyclonic storm ‘Michaung’, which formed over the Bay of Bengal and intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, is likely to make landfall near Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh’s Bapatla during the forenoon of Tuesday, December 5, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD). The cyclone is expected to make landfall as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 km per hour, gusting to 110 km per hour.
