12 dead as Cyclone Fani batters India’s Odisha state

CHANDIGARH, India

The death toll from Cyclone Fani in eastern India reached 12 on Saturday, with officials saying that they are still collecting details from throughout Odisha state about the damage from the extreme cyclone.

Among the casualties were three people, including a teenage boy, killed in Puri, and an elderly woman who died of a heart attack at a relief shelter in Kendrapara, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

“Massive restoration and relief work was launched on war-footing Saturday across 10,000 villages and urban areas,” the agency added.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on Saturday morning: “Spoke to Odisha CM [chief minister] Naveen Patnaik Ji and discussed the situation prevailing due to Cyclone Fani. Assured continuous support from the Central Government in the wake of the cyclone. The entire nation stands in solidarity with all those affected.”

A Home Ministry statement said Odisha officials said that extensive damage to telecommunications and power infrastructure had been caused in Puri, Bhubaneswar, and other areas. “However, due to advance precautionary measures taken and large-scale evacuation, the loss of human lives was minimal,” it said.

It added: “West Bengal reported mild impact of the cyclone while Andhra Pradesh informed of heavy rainfall and some damage to crops and roads in Srikakulam district.”

According to the Defense Ministry, the Indian Navy launched a massive rescue and rehabilitation effort in Odisha. “Two maritime Recce sorties were undertaken by the Dornier aircraft of the Navy revealing widespread destruction localised around the temple town of Puri,” the ministry said.

On Saturday morning, Cyclone Fani – the strongest tropical cyclone to hit India in 20 years -- hit West Bengal state, and meteorologists are saying it will move further towards Bangladesh, likely in a weakened state.

According to Philip Klotzbach from Colorado State University, Fani is the strongest cyclone this early in the year in the North Indian Ocean since Cyclone Nargis in 2008.

Earlier relief officials told Anadolu Agency that more than one million residents had been moved to safer locations in the state.