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Kandla port to suspend operations from Friday

Kandla, one of the busiest ports on India's western coast, will suspend operations from Friday morning due to a severe cyclone threatening to hit Gujarat, a senior port official said on Thursday.

"We will suspend the entire port operations from Friday morning as a precautionary measure against the cyclone," Kandla Port Trust Chairman A K Joti said.

The cyclone, that has been hovering near India's west coast for the last two days, could hit the southern coastal areas of Gujarat late on Friday, weather officials said.

The cyclone was now 550 km south of the port town of Veraval in Gujarat, where some 30,000 people were killed by an earthquake in January.

Joti said the port, which was closed for about 10 days after the quake, would suspend loading and unloading of cargo at its dry and cargo berths from 0800 IST Friday and workers had been asked not to report for duty until the cyclone moved away from the coast. "We are also moving out eight vessels currently berthed at various jetties to ensure safety," he said.

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