Deadly Cyclone Titli pounds eastern India
October 11, 2018
India has evacuated more than 300,000 people before a severe a cyclone struck the country's eastern coast on Thursday.
State authorities in Orissa have prepared for the worst case scenario, deploying hundreds of emergency workers to deal with the aftermath of the storm.
Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik described Titli as a "very severe cyclone."
Read more: The world's deadliest hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones
What we know so far:
- Two people have been killed.
- Wind speeds reached 150 kilometers per hour (92 miles per hour) during landfall.
- Air and train travel are suspended.
- More than 800 cyclone and flood shelters were setup and stocked with food and aid.
'Need of the hour'
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said authorities are doing everything they can to ensure the well-being of citizens impacted by the cyclone.
"Government and authorities are on alert. It is the need of the hour for everyone to come forward. I am confident that this crisis will be handled in a proper way with everyone's support," Pradhan said.
Orissa special relief commission Bishnupada Sethi said at least 30 fishermen were rescued by the coastguard, adding that they had already been warned two days prior to not head out to sea during the cyclone.
Read more: Mother Nature's wrath: Is climate change making mega-hurricanes the new normal?
Tragic history
Indian authorities have been particularly attentive to cyclone preparations in the area following the 1999 Odisha cyclone tragedy.
More than 10,000 people were killed that year when the most powerful cyclone ever recorded in the Indian Ocean struck Orissa state.
ls/kms (AP, AFP)