Cyclone Fani left a trail of destruction as it made landfall Friday in India’s Odisha state, knocking out power and inundating many areas. At least eight people were killed, according to officials and local media.
POWER IS COMPLETELY DOWN
“While three people, including a teenage boy, were reported killed in Puri district, three perished in Bhubaneswar and nearby areas. Flying debris from a concrete structure fatally struck a woman in Nayagarh. An elderly woman died of a heart attack at a relief shelter in Kendrapara district,” the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
The Indian government’s Principal Spokesperson, Sitanshu Kar, said 160 people are reported to be injured.
“As per telephonic information, in Puri, extensive damage to kuchha houses, old buildings and temporary shops…Power and telecom is completely down. NDRF and state forces are clearing roads,” he said on Twitter, referring to the National Disaster Response Force.
“Damage is extensive. It is devastation. Buildings, roads are damaged. Electricity and telephones are affected,” Odisha Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi told Anadolu Agency by phone, adding a damage assessment is being conducted.
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.